It does not help

[GoodTaste]

It looks like that "It does not help" can be entirely removed without affecting the meaning of the sentence. Am I correct?


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Even simple experiments take weeks to prepare, perform, analyze and troubleshoot. It does not help that the efforts of those carrying out replication studies often go unrewarded—it is unglamorous, unfunded and thankless work.

Source

 

[Lynxear]

No, you change the meaning if you remove the phrase "It does not help"

It does not help that the efforts of those carrying out replication studies often go unrewarded—it is unglamorous, unfunded and thankless work.

There is more to this meaning to these sentences and it is contained in the previous sentences. This sentence suggests there are problems because people are not receiving the recognition that they feel they deserve.

The efforts of those carrying out replication studies often go unrewarded—it is unglamorous, unfunded and thankless work.

This sentence is just describing the nature of the work. It acknowledges that it is unrewarding work but there is no hint of problems with those that do it. For example, they might not be happy about it but they do the work because they realize it is necessary.

 

[GoodTaste]

The efforts of those carrying out replication studies often go unrewarded—it is unglamorous, unfunded and thankless work.

This sentence is just describing the nature of the work. It acknowledges that it is unrewarding work but there is no hint of problems with those that do it. For example, they might not be happy about it but they do the work because they realize it is necessary.

Yeah, that is exactly why I failed to understand: Because in a grammatical structure "It does not help that ...", the clause "that..." is the true subject (supposed to be A). A does not help? Isn't the work necessary as you've described above?

 

[Lynxear]

"For example, they might not be happy about it but they do the work because they realize it is necessary."

Well said, and this is precisely why "it does not help that" can be removed without a change in meaning. They may be dissatisfied with the compensation they are getting, but there is no suggestion that the quality, validity, and accuracy of their work is compromised. The possibility that they may go home grumpy at the end of the day has no bearing on the matter. The author is just projecting his own feelings.

Without the previous sentence all of this is speculation on our parts. I think the phrase " It does not help that" hints at problems with the staff, whereas dropping this phrase just describes a boring, unrewarded task.