But because of the way they've come about, what you don't tend to get from traditional measures is neatness, order or scientific rigour.

BBC: Gonna take a centi-mental journey

But he folds it into the story with due scientific rigour.

ECONOMIST: Where and when will the next pandemic emerge?

But Grunenthal was stronger on commercial chutzpah than scientific rigour.

ECONOMIST: Thalidomide

In the story at the start of this article, therefore, only the time since the murder took place can be established with true scientific rigour and known margins of error.

ECONOMIST: Whose body of evidence?

But scientific rigour is not always possible.

ECONOMIST: Plain speaking on a highly coloured issue