Patent Document ID: 8386478
Application ID: 11683273

Base Claim:
1. A method of receiving feedback from a user regarding the relevance of search results to a search query, said method comprising: using an adaptive search engine to present at least one search result responsive to a first search query by the user, the at least one search result comprising one or more file identifiers, each of the one or more file identifiers corresponds to an electronic file; receiving, via a user interface, a user selection of one of the one or more file identifiers, wherein the electronic file corresponding to the selected file identifier is presented with a first ranking in the search results; opening the electronic file corresponding to the selected file identifier; monitoring a note panel associated with the first search query for an addition of a note by a user, the addition of the note comprising copying and pasting at least a portion of the opened electronic file or dragging and dropping at least a portion of the electronic file into the note panel, wherein the portion of the opened electronic file is determined by the user to be relevant to the first search query; increasing a relevance ranking, with respect to the first search query, of the electronic file as the note is added to the note panel by the user, wherein the increased relevance ranking causes the electronic file to be presented with a second ranking higher than the first ranking when a future search is performed using the same first search query; storing the portion of the electronic file in the note panel associated with the first search query such that the note panel is accessible at a future time by at least one of the user and a second user; and providing the at least one of the user and the second user with the portion of the electronic file when responding to a second search query similar to the first search query by locating and accessing the note panel associated with the first search query.

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Claim 2:
2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising selecting one or more data sources to be searched from a plurality of data sources.