When Research Goes Pear-Shaped: Report and Reflections on a Failed Study of Exercise and Manual Therapies for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Research projects collapse for a variety of reasons: for example, recruitment problems, sloppy designs, low power, or poor data management. This confessional tale reports on a failed study of the use of exercise and manual therapies for rheumatoid arthritis, solidly established in a quantitative paradigm. This research was an attempt to investigate whether adding a course of manual therapy or water exercise to existing care regimens influenced quality-of-life domains such as mobility, dexterity, and pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis. The study collapsed. The author reports her reflections on the research process and what happens to researchers and participants when studies go awry. This case addresses issues of the personal investments of the researcher, the ethical treatment of participants, the anxieties and pressures of completing a PhD, and the lack of visibility of studies with nonsignificant findings.