1. A computer implemented method of providing a user interface for a search method, the search method aided by a set of topics, the topics not necessarily having a hierarchy, each topic having at least one attachment to at least one information item of a plurality of information items, the method comprising: causing a first user interface to be displayed to a first searcher, the user interface providing for the searcher to input search request information including at least one of the group consisting of a search phrase and a subset of one or more search topics of the set of topics; carrying out the search method, the search method including: accepting the search request information input by the first searcher; identifying one or more information items of the plurality of information items according to the accepted search request information; and determining one or more suggested topics from the set of topics, the suggested topics being determined according to the attachments of the suggested topics to the one or more identified information items; and as a result of carrying out the search method, causing a second user interface to be displayed to the first searcher, the second user interface including at least some of the identified information items and at least one of the suggested topics, the second user interface providing for the first searcher the ability to select one of the suggested topics, wherein the suggested topics include one or more refinement topics determined from the set of topics according to a refinement topic criterion using a refinement selection method, such that the first searcher selecting one of the suggested topics using the displayed second user interface generates additional results.
1. A computer implemented method of providing a user interface for a search method, the search method aided by a set of topics, the topics not necessarily having a hierarchy, each topic having at least one attachment to at least one information item of a plurality of information items, the method comprising: causing a first user interface to be displayed to a first searcher, the user interface providing for the searcher to input search request information including at least one of the group consisting of a search phrase and a subset of one or more search topics of the set of topics; carrying out the search method, the search method including: accepting the search request information input by the first searcher; identifying one or more information items of the plurality of information items according to the accepted search request information; and determining one or more suggested topics from the set of topics, the suggested topics being determined according to the attachments of the suggested topics to the one or more identified information items; and as a result of carrying out the search method, causing a second user interface to be displayed to the first searcher, the second user interface including at least some of the identified information items and at least one of the suggested topics, the second user interface providing for the first searcher the ability to select one of the suggested topics, wherein the suggested topics include one or more refinement topics determined from the set of topics according to a refinement topic criterion using a refinement selection method, such that the first searcher selecting one of the suggested topics using the displayed second user interface generates additional results. 7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the suggested topics presented to the first searcher include one or more similar topics determined from the set of topics according to a topic similarity selection criterion related to the identified information items.