1. A computer-implemented method of searching for at least one data file matching a user-defined query definition, the method comprising: receiving a first user input defining a first query definition for a first query, wherein the first query definition includes a first scope defining a first physical file location to be searched and a first set of one or more textual search terms used; executing the first query to generate a first plurality of data files stored on the first physical file location that have one or more characteristics that match the first set of the one or more textual search terms; receiving a second user input defining a second query definition for a second query, wherein the second query definition includes a second scope defining a second physical file location to be searched and a second set of one or more textual search terms, wherein the second scope incorporates by reference a third query definition that comprises a third query definition having a third scope and a third set of one or more textual search terms, thereby defining the second scope as a combination of items satisfying the third query definition and items that are stored in the second physical file location; receiving a third user input modifying the third scope of the third query definition to incorporate by reference the first query definition and the second query definition, thereby defining the third scope as a combination of items satisfying the first query definition and items that satisfy the second query definition; detecting an attempted cycle within the third query definition by determining that the second query definition incorporates the third query definition by a reference and the third query definition incorporates the second query definition by reference; automatically removing the attempted cycle from the third query definition by trimming the incorporation by reference of the second query definition from third query definition; executing the third query to identify multiple data files matching the third query definition, wherein the multiple data files are in the first plurality of data files generated by executing the first query definition and have one or more characteristics that match the third set of one or more textual search terms; and displaying a representation of the multiple data files with only one unique copy of each data file.