System and method for retrieving and organizing information from disparate computer network information sources

A computer implemented method for accessing information from a plurality of searchable information sources comprising the steps of:

• analyzing a user's search query to determine a subject matter of the query;
• providing a category-to-source map that includes a plurality of categories, the categories having at least one information source linked thereto;
• obtaining at least one category pertaining to the subject matter of the query;
• and
• adding the information source linked to the category in the category-to-source map to a subset of information sources.

A computer implemented method for accessing information from a plurality of searchable information sources comprising the steps of:

• analyzing a user's search query to determine a subject matter of the query;
• selecting a subset of information sources from the plurality of information sources based upon the determined subject matter of the query;
• assigning each information source in the subset of information sources a performance score pertaining to performance qualities of the information source;
• searching the information sources in the subset of information sources for documents relevant to the search query;
• and
• displaying search results from the output of the searching step, wherein the search results are ordered based upon, at least in part, the performance scores of the information sources from which the search results are obtained.

A computer implemented method for accessing information from a plurality of searchable information sources comprising the steps of:

• analyzing a user's search query to determine a subject matter of the query;
• selecting a subset of information sources from the plurality of information sources based upon the determined subject matter of the query;
• searching the information sources in the subset of information sources for documents relevant to the search query;
• and
• displaying the search results from the output of the searching step, wherein the search results are segregated for each of the information sources in the subset of information sources.

A computer implemented method for accessing information from a plurality of searchable information sources comprising the steps of:

• analyzing a user's search query to determine a subject matter of the query;
• selecting a subset of information sources from the plurality of information sources based upon the determined subject matter of the query;
• searching a standard information source for documents relevant to the search query;
• and
• displaying the result of the step of searching the standard information source along with an option, selectable by the user, for searching the subset of information sources for documents relevant to the search query upon selection of the option by the user.

A computer implemented method for accessing information from a plurality of searchable information sources comprising the steps of:

• analyzing a user's search query to determine a subject matter of the query;
• selecting a subset of information sources from the plurality of information sources based upon the determined subject matter of the query;
• searching a standard information source for documents relevant to the search query;
• searching the subset of information sources for documents relevant to the search query;
• and
• simultaneously displaying the results of the step of searching the standard information source and the step of searching the subset of information sources.

A computer implemented method for accessing information from a plurality of searchable information sources comprising the steps of:

• analyzing a user's search query to determine a plurality of subject matters of the query;
• for each of the determined subject matters of the query, selecting a subset of information sources from the plurality of information sources associated with the respective determined subject matter;
• and
• automatically searching the subset of information sources associated with the subject matter having the closest match to the search query for documents relevant to the search query.

A computer implemented method for searching a plurality of searchable information sources, the information sources including at least one secure source and at least one non-secure source, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing security credentials necessary for accessing the secure source;
• accessing the secure source utilizing the stored security credentials;
• accessing the non-secure source;
• searching the accessed sources for documents relevant to a search query;
• and
• displaying results of the searching step.

A computer implemented method for searching a plurality of searchable information sources by plurality of users to a computer network system, the information sources including at least one secure source, the method comprising the steps of:

• for each user, storing security credentials necessary for accessing the secure source;
• accessing, by each user, the secure source utilizing the stored security credentials for each user;
• and
• searching the accessed secure source, by the plurality of users for documents relevant to one or more search queries.

A computer implemented method for accessing information from a plurality of searchable information sources comprising the steps of:

• analyzing a user's search query to determine a subject matter of the query;
• and
• selecting a subset of information sources from the plurality of information sources based upon the determined subject matter of the query, wherein at least one of the subset of information sources is a secure information source;
• accessing the secure information source utilizing stored security credentials for the information source;
• and
• searching the information sources in the subset of information sources for documents relevant to the search query.