How "clean" are analyst firms (money envelopes,dark rooms, vendor based research)

IT Analyst firms (like STKI) make their living by offering expert advice to business and technology people about the best ways to invest their IT dollars.

The research gives great insight, but only if that analysis comes with no strings attached.
Analyst firm should disclose vendor revenue and services given to the vendor companies they monitor........

Another interesting conflict of interest are the "consulting" jobs done to users of technology while doing "consulting" work with the vendors that are going to be considered in the project.

Several of our clients (because of SOX and other regulations) have asked the big analyst firms to declare those revenues but: THEY HAVE DISMISSED THE IDEA AND ARE NOT WILLING TO DISCLOSE.

Does it sound familiar?????