“There are a lot of things to pick apart”

[GoodTaste]

Does “There are a lot of things to pick apart” mean “There are a lot of things to criticize"?


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Evidence lags behind excitement over blood plasma as a coronavirus treatment
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But it’s difficult to draw a firm conclusion from data combined from disparate studies, cautions Josephson. The trials treated people with varying disease severity, using different doses of plasma and tracking a range of measures of success. “There are a lot of things to pick apart” about the analysis, says Josephson. At the same time, it’s not without value. “We had nothing before except for safety data.”

Source: Nature 19 AUGUST 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02324-2

 

[jutfrank]

No. It means something akin to 'separate'.

There are several variables that must be 'separated' in order for the data to be well enough understood to draw a firm conclusion. These variables are mentioned in the preceding sentence.

 

[probus]

In this context it undoubtedly has the meaning jutfrank gave. But in other contexts "pick apart" may mean criticize.