A method of searching for documents using different metadata sources, wherein searches are based on text within documents or on metadata stored with or in the documents, comprising: - receiving a search statement containing information for the documents, wherein the search statement comprises one or more search queries and one or more search parameters, wherein each of the one or more search queries contains data to be searched for in sources specified by the search parameters, and each of the one or more parameters being organizational information that corresponds to the type of information to be searched, including identifying the sources to be searched; - analyzing the search statement, wherein search queries and search parameters in the search statement are identified, and associating, in the search statement, each search query with one or more search parameters; - determining a search strategy based on the search statement, the search strategy comprising two search activities for searching first and second sources, respectively, wherein a search activity includes conducting a search in a source specified in the search parameter; characterized in that the method further comprises - specifying the order in which the search activities are carried-out by weighting each search activity, wherein tokens are assigned to or withdrawn from the search activities based on the search parameters and/or the length and the content of the one or more search queries, the sum of all tokens for a search activity constituting its weight, and wherein a number of tokens assigned or withdrawn for a search activity is customizable; - performing, based on the order, one of the search activities, to identify a first set of documents, and - performing the second search activity using the first set of documents, wherein the second search activity is performed to identify a second set of documents, the second set of documents being a subset of the first set of documents. - receiving a search statement containing information for the documents, wherein the search statement comprises one or more search queries and one or more search parameters, wherein each of the one or more search queries contains data to be searched for in sources specified by the search parameters, and each of the one or more parameters being organizational information that corresponds to the type of information to be searched, including identifying the sources to be searched; - analyzing the search statement, wherein search queries and search parameters in the search statement are identified, and associating, in the search statement, each search query with one or more search parameters; - determining a search strategy based on the search statement, the search strategy comprising two search activities for searching first and second sources, respectively, wherein a search activity includes conducting a search in a source specified in the search parameter; - specifying the order in which the search activities are carried-out by weighting each search activity, wherein tokens are assigned to or withdrawn from the search activities based on the search parameters and/or the length and the content of the one or more search queries, the sum of all tokens for a search activity constituting its weight, and wherein a number of tokens assigned or withdrawn for a search activity is customizable; - performing, based on the order, one of the search activities, to identify a first set of documents, and - performing the second search activity using the first set of documents, wherein the second search activity is performed to identify a second set of documents, the second set of documents being a subset of the first set of documents.