[tanana]

That's the point, it is very difficult to correctly interpret analyses. That's why you don't take conclusions for granted, and work from the basis of what you think is biologically relevant. There is usually a whole phase preceding the actual analysis. You can visualise potential relationships in directed acyclic graphs, to try and see where bias might be introduced. However, that phase is very often skipped by medical researchers.

I never said the analyst was the sole person bearing the responsibility. You are right that just as much as responsibility must be expected from those that designed the information model, those that collected the data but also the person who ultimately analyses it and prepares it for whatever kind of dissemination. Everybody involved has to take their individual responsibility so that we achieve collective responsibility.