PhD - distance learning

I finished my MA with the OU last year and would love to do a PhD but I'd need it to be online/distance nearly entirely (could manage having to visit somewhere once a year).
The PhD search sites are clunky and don't seem to be throwing me up many options.
Anyone done this or have any tips?

My MA was in Crime and Justice.

Thanks!

Setting aside the current situation for a moment, 'distance-learning' isn't really a thing for PhDs. most obviously because they aren't generally taught, save some research methods type classes.

The only distinction made in types of study for PhD are full time (3-4 years) or part time (6 years).

PhDs are usually presented for distance learning because either you need equipment which is expensive/needs technicians etc that can only be found in laboratories, or you need libraries and original documents etc which hte university holds.

Obviously, in the current situation, a lot of resources are being put online, so it is, within the last few months, much easier to access digital resources, but that doesn't completely change the nature of PhD. I think a lot of academics might say that by physically locating yourself in a collegiate body of other academics, you learn the necessary soft skills and create fruitful networks, improve your ways of thinking, can move between, compare and contrast paradigms better and altogether become a better researcher and academic thinker etc.

Having said that, of course, especially in the humanities and social sciences, researchers can go off for long periods to do fieldwork or research material that isn't held or discoverable from the University.

But I suspect that's the difference in perception you are facing. You want 'distance-learning' in the style of the current style of undergrad or Masters degrees. Universities think that all the necessary 'distance research' is established, and you can go and work in a tree in Brazil for 9 months of the year, but otherwise you need to form part of an academic community.

I'm not sure what the OU process is, it might be worth exploring how they manage PhDs.

I finished my MA with the OU last year and would love to do a PhD but I'd need it to be online/distance nearly entirely (could manage having to visit somewhere once a year).
The PhD search sites are clunky and don't seem to be throwing me up many options.
Anyone done this or have any tips?

My MA was in Crime and Justice.

Thanks!

What's probably more realistic is doing the first year of your PhD on-site somewhere then switching to the distance learning (remote working) method.

I found an official version of this structure of 1 year on-campus and the rest elsewhere when I was researching PhDs (I believe it was at Reading), but it was designed for students who weren't UK-based and/or wanted to do their data collection in another country. They only allowed UK students on the course under special circumstances.

I think there's somewhat of a difference between what's officially allowed and what's unofficially allowed, at least for UK based students where visa related matters are less of an issue. Most universities in practice aren't too fussed about where you live and work while doing your PhD providing you still have regular interactions with your supervisor.

Now, convincing your supervisor to let you do that is another matter.

Some supervisors will want you in the office 9-5 every weekday

Others will want to see you in the office every weekday and not be too fussed about when you come in

Others will be happy if you turn up in person a couple of days per week or even just for meetings

Then some who will allow it temporarily

Then finally you'll find a small number who will be happy with a permanent switch, and most of those, particularly the ones worth their salt as a supervisor, will want to see you work in the office for a while first.