Causal language in computational biology research
Preamble
My research is not explicitly on causal inference. However, I have received, many times, feedback that has pointed to my weakness where I inject “causal language” to describe my research on datasets and experimental designs where such causal interpretations are not possible. Therefore, I have come to appreciate that knowledge in this are is important to know what claims can be made from the data and experimental setup a researcher has. The express purpose of this is to document for myself how the statements I’ve made previously consititute and “overstepping” of causal interpretation.
Statistical vs Causal questions
The distinction here falls between association and causation. In associative studies, we are interested in describing a system or a relationship between observed outcomes under two different settings. In causal studies, we are interested in