Abstract: The system and method for searching and retrieving information stored in heterogeneous information repositories. A portal server retrieves user requests through a computer network and looks up information stored in a metadata databases. For example, the metadata may be encoded in an XML/RDF format and stored in a directory server to facilitate effective searching and retrieval of information from an information repository. Metadata includes information including a classmark definition for each document. The classmark is determined through an automated cataloguing process.

Abstract: The system and method for searching and retrieving information stored in heterogeneous information repositories. A portal server retrieves user requests through a computer network and looks up information stored in a metadata databases. For example, the metadata may be encoded in an XML/RDF format and stored in a directory server to facilitate effective searching and retrieval of information from an information repository. Metadata includes information including a classmark definition for each document. The classmark is determined through an automated cataloguing process.