1. A computer implemented method of generating a plurality of specialty-oriented document databases or indices from a master index of terms within a subject matter area, said method comprising steps of assigning one or more specialties to each document, wherein said step of assigning one or more specialties is carried out by an expert in said one or more specialties, assigning a limited number of terms from said master index or codes corresponding to said terms to each document, wherein said step of assigning one or more terms or codes is carried out separately from said step of assigning one or more specialties of said plurality of specialties by an expert in said one or more specialties, said expert being a person, and wherein said step of assigning a limited number of terms or codes is based on primary relevance of material described as determined by said expert, merging results of said step of assigning one or more specialties and results of said step of assigning a limited number of terms or codes, using a computer, to form respective specialty-oriented document databases comprising said documents or respective specialty-oriented indices comprising said terms or codes corresponding to documents using terms or codes from said master index assigned to documents and which are assigned to respective specialties by said step of assigning one or more specialties to each document, wherein said method generates said plurality of specialty-oriented databases or indices of said documents which are accessible from said databases or indices in accordance with terms or codes assigned in said step of assigning a limited number of terms or codes to said documents.
1. A computer implemented method of generating a plurality of specialty-oriented document databases or indices from a master index of terms within a subject matter area, said method comprising steps of assigning one or more specialties to each document, wherein said step of assigning one or more specialties is carried out by an expert in said one or more specialties, assigning a limited number of terms from said master index or codes corresponding to said terms to each document, wherein said step of assigning one or more terms or codes is carried out separately from said step of assigning one or more specialties of said plurality of specialties by an expert in said one or more specialties, said expert being a person, and wherein said step of assigning a limited number of terms or codes is based on primary relevance of material described as determined by said expert, merging results of said step of assigning one or more specialties and results of said step of assigning a limited number of terms or codes, using a computer, to form respective specialty-oriented document databases comprising said documents or respective specialty-oriented indices comprising said terms or codes corresponding to documents using terms or codes from said master index assigned to documents and which are assigned to respective specialties by said step of assigning one or more specialties to each document, wherein said method generates said plurality of specialty-oriented databases or indices of said documents which are accessible from said databases or indices in accordance with terms or codes assigned in said step of assigning a limited number of terms or codes to said documents. 11. The method as recited in claim 1 , including the further step of assigning a document type to each document.