2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein: the search query is a not-yet-submitted search query; the step of determining the search result comprises determining a speculative search result based on the not-yet-submitted search query; and the method further comprising determining whether said not-yet-submitted search query meets a criterion for initiating said determining the speculative search result, and performing said determining the speculative search result in response to determining that said not-yet-submitted search query meets the criterion.
1. A computer-implemented method of providing speculative search results, comprising the steps of: receiving a search query from a client node; determining a search result for said search query; wherein determining the search result comprises performing an ordered search of different databases; wherein performing the ordered search of different databases comprises: performing, based on the search query, a first search that produces a first set of one or more search results, wherein performing the first search comprises searching a first set of one or more databases; determining whether the first set of one or more search results meet a relevance threshold, wherein the step of determining is based on relevance scores, assigned to documents in the first set of one or more search results, that reflect relevance between the first set of one or more search results and the search query; performing, based on the search query, a second search that produces a second set of one or more search results if and only if the first set of one or more search results do not meet the relevance threshold, wherein performing the second search comprises searching a second set of one or more databases, wherein the first set of one or more databases is different than the second set of one or more databases; determining whether the second set of search results meet the relevance threshold, wherein the step of determining whether the second set of search results meet the relevance threshold is based on relevance scores, assigned to documents in the second set of one or more search results, that reflect relevance between the second set of one or more search results and the search query; in response to determining that the second set of one or more search results meet the relevance threshold, (a) generating the search result from the second set of one or more search results, and (b) providing said search result to said client node, wherein said search result identifies at least one item that satisfies said search query; wherein the steps are performed on one or more computing devices.