Abstract: In a method for information access, search, and retrieval over a data communication system generally, wherein a query is applied to a set of documents, a result set of the matching documents are identified. The method comprises amending the query according to the access entitlements of the current user to the original documents in source systems, in such a way that only documents the user is allowed to access directly from various source systems appear in the result set, even when the source documents reside in systems of different security domains that potentially are dependent on each other.

Abstract: In a method for displaying video data within result presentations in information access or search systems, compressed thumbnails are computed for videos in a result page and applied to the result page. An end user is enabled to select a video in the result page and activate streaming of a video summary within the context of the associated result page.

Abstract: In a method for displaying and capturing metadata of documents within result presentations in information access or search systems, a metadata server is used for storing a metadata associated with any searchable document and the end users are given the opportunity to view and edit metadata associated with documents returned from the metadata server which is capable of automatically creating metadata objects associated with any combination of document query and document position in a result set for a given query A search engine capable of implementing the method comprises a metadata server as part of or connected with its core search engine.