Patent Document ID: 8849855
Application ID: 11804123

Base Claim:
1. A method comprising: receiving, by a computing device, a question associated with an information category; extracting, by the computing device, at least one search term from the question; generating, by the computing device, a search query based upon the at least one search term; adding, by the computing device, at least one restricting term to the search query, the at least one restricting term based upon the information category and comprising a site scope modifier to restrict the query to at least one web site associated with the information category the site scope modifier specifying the at least one web site to which the query is restricted; selecting, by the computing device, the at least one web site associated with the information category from a mapping table that associates the at least one web site with the information category, the mapping table specific to a type of online forum; and conducting, by the computing device, a search of a hyperlinked environment for at least one document that matches the search query.

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Claim 5:
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information category comprises a named level in a hierarchy of categories provided by an online forum.