Probabilistic estimation of expression residuals (PEER), which infers broad variance components in gene expression measurements, has been used to account for some systematic effects, but it has remained challenging to interpret these PEER factors.  Here we show that transcriptome diversity-a simple metric based on Shannon entropy-explains a large portion of variability in gene expression and is the strongest known factor encoded in PEER factors.  In sum, transcriptome diversity provides a simple explanation for a major source of variation in both gene expression estimates and PEER covariates.
PEER
While standard practices have been established to analyze RNA-seq data, it is still challenging to interpret and remove artifactual signals. 
RNA-seq data