6. An information retrieval system comprising: a search module running on a server and interfacing with a database; an access device including a graphical user interface in communication with the search module to receive queries from a user and present search results to the user; a subject guide module having a classification data set descriptive of the contents of the database; a search-assistance module in communication with the subject guide module and configured to categorize each level of the classification data set as either overly broad, broad, or narrow, and configured to categorize a user query as either overly broad, broad, or narrow, without executing the query against the database; a query definition region forming part of the graphical user interface; a hierarchical subject matter guide region forming part of the graphical user interface, the hierarchical subject matter guide region including a broad topic level display area configured to display a user selectable broad subject matter identifier and corresponding document count indicator that indicates the corresponding number of documents in the database associated with the selectable subject matter identifier, the hierarchical subject matter guide region also including a narrow level topic display area configured to display a plurality of selectable narrow subject matter identifiers and corresponding document count indicators, wherein the narrow subject matter identifiers correspond to subtopics of the broad subject identifier; and a document identifier display region forming part of the graphical user interface and configured to be displayed simultaneously with the hierarchical subject matter guide and the query definition region, wherein the document display region simultaneously displays one or more user selectable document identifiers in response to selection of one of the broad subject matter identifier and the narrow subject matter identifiers, wherein each user selectable document identifiers is selectable to invoke retrieval of a corresponding document related by subject matter to the subject matter identifiers.
6. An information retrieval system comprising: a search module running on a server and interfacing with a database; an access device including a graphical user interface in communication with the search module to receive queries from a user and present search results to the user; a subject guide module having a classification data set descriptive of the contents of the database; a search-assistance module in communication with the subject guide module and configured to categorize each level of the classification data set as either overly broad, broad, or narrow, and configured to categorize a user query as either overly broad, broad, or narrow, without executing the query against the database; a query definition region forming part of the graphical user interface; a hierarchical subject matter guide region forming part of the graphical user interface, the hierarchical subject matter guide region including a broad topic level display area configured to display a user selectable broad subject matter identifier and corresponding document count indicator that indicates the corresponding number of documents in the database associated with the selectable subject matter identifier, the hierarchical subject matter guide region also including a narrow level topic display area configured to display a plurality of selectable narrow subject matter identifiers and corresponding document count indicators, wherein the narrow subject matter identifiers correspond to subtopics of the broad subject identifier; and a document identifier display region forming part of the graphical user interface and configured to be displayed simultaneously with the hierarchical subject matter guide and the query definition region, wherein the document display region simultaneously displays one or more user selectable document identifiers in response to selection of one of the broad subject matter identifier and the narrow subject matter identifiers, wherein each user selectable document identifiers is selectable to invoke retrieval of a corresponding document related by subject matter to the subject matter identifiers. 7. The information retrieval system of claim 6 , wherein the query definition region is operably coupled to the search assistance module, wherein the search assistance module activates display of the hierarchical subject matter guide region in response to a determination that the query is too broad.