Abstract: A system and method for tracking an electronic document includes a document preparation tool that can accept document content and form data, encrypt the content data, provide a document ID, prepare instructions for generating a data input form and package the encrypted data, document ID and instructions in the electronic document. When a user accesses the electronic document, the instructions can display the data input form to the user. A local file containing the document ID and the user ID can be created on the user's computer system and the content can be decrypted and presented to the user. Files on the document can be updated to include the user ID and a listing of the actions taken by the user with respect to the opened document and the data in the local file and document files can be transmitted to a server for storage in a database.

Abstract: A system for storing and retrieving records in a database storage unit by employing a hierarchical data map. In one embodiment, a system according to the invention includes a user interface, a search engine, a data storage unit, and a hierarchical data map. In operation, a user enters search terms through the user interface. The user interface couples the search terms to the search engine. The search engine traverses the hierarchical data map to identify data nodes having associated searchable terms that include the user-input search terms. The search engine then captures unique node identifiers for the identified data nodes, and retrieves records in the database storage unit that are encoded with the captured unique node identifiers. Data records are encoded with one or more unique node identifiers, based at least in part on a relationship between the content of the data records and the searchable terms of the data node.