I recently reread Kittyhawk Down, the second in Garry Disher’s brilliant police procedural series set on the Mornington Peninsula. Listen:
Challis glanced around at them one by one. ‘But I’m saying keep an open mind. That should be the first rule of police work. We gather the evidence, analyse it and follow where it leads us.’
This is very close to the mantra oft repeated by my fictional private investigator hero, Peter Gentle, namely “data … analysis … conclusions.” It wouldn’t be outlandish to suggest this underpins how I think and act.