23. A computer-implemented method of querying a computer database that comprises a plurality of electronic data records containing strings of terms in a natural human language format, to retrieve a final result set comprising a selection of data records that satisfy a search query, comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving input from a user corresponding to a creation of at least one initial inclusion rule, the initial inclusion rule comprising one or more descriptive search terms that are required to occur in each record in the final result set; receiving input from a user corresponding to a creation of at least one initial exclusion rule, the initial exclusion rule comprising one or more descriptive search terms that are required to not occur in the final result set; storing the at least one initial inclusion rule and the at least one initial exclusion rule as an initial descriptive taxonomy; a computer querying the computer database utilizing the initial descriptive taxonomy as a search query to generate an initial inclusion result set and an initial exclusion result set; displaying the initial inclusion result set and the initial exclusion result set to the user, for inspection by the user to assess whether the initial inclusion result set and the initial exclusion result set comprise records desired by the user, the display of the initial inclusion result set including an exclusion flag identifying data records that also appear in the initial exclusion result set; receiving input from the user corresponding to a provision of additional descriptive search terms for addition to the descriptive search terms in the initial inclusion rule such that further data records containing such additional descriptive search terms will be included in the final result set; storing the additional descriptive search terms for the initial inclusion rule as an updated inclusion rule; receiving input from the user removing the exclusion flag for a particular data record that the user has determined should occur in the final result set notwithstanding its occurrence in the initial exclusion result set; storing information relating to a data record for which an exclusion flag has been removed as an updated exclusion rule, such that the data record will henceforth occur in the final result set; storing the updated inclusion rule and the updated exclusion rule as an updated descriptive taxonomy; and a computer querying the computer database utilizing the updated descriptive taxonomy as a search query to generate the final result set, whereby data records that satisfy the updated inclusion rule are included in the data records in the final result set and data records for which the exclusion flag has been removed also are included in the final result set.
23. A computer-implemented method of querying a computer database that comprises a plurality of electronic data records containing strings of terms in a natural human language format, to retrieve a final result set comprising a selection of data records that satisfy a search query, comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving input from a user corresponding to a creation of at least one initial inclusion rule, the initial inclusion rule comprising one or more descriptive search terms that are required to occur in each record in the final result set; receiving input from a user corresponding to a creation of at least one initial exclusion rule, the initial exclusion rule comprising one or more descriptive search terms that are required to not occur in the final result set; storing the at least one initial inclusion rule and the at least one initial exclusion rule as an initial descriptive taxonomy; a computer querying the computer database utilizing the initial descriptive taxonomy as a search query to generate an initial inclusion result set and an initial exclusion result set; displaying the initial inclusion result set and the initial exclusion result set to the user, for inspection by the user to assess whether the initial inclusion result set and the initial exclusion result set comprise records desired by the user, the display of the initial inclusion result set including an exclusion flag identifying data records that also appear in the initial exclusion result set; receiving input from the user corresponding to a provision of additional descriptive search terms for addition to the descriptive search terms in the initial inclusion rule such that further data records containing such additional descriptive search terms will be included in the final result set; storing the additional descriptive search terms for the initial inclusion rule as an updated inclusion rule; receiving input from the user removing the exclusion flag for a particular data record that the user has determined should occur in the final result set notwithstanding its occurrence in the initial exclusion result set; storing information relating to a data record for which an exclusion flag has been removed as an updated exclusion rule, such that the data record will henceforth occur in the final result set; storing the updated inclusion rule and the updated exclusion rule as an updated descriptive taxonomy; and a computer querying the computer database utilizing the updated descriptive taxonomy as a search query to generate the final result set, whereby data records that satisfy the updated inclusion rule are included in the data records in the final result set and data records for which the exclusion flag has been removed also are included in the final result set. 26. The computer-implemented method of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of electronic data records comprise structured electronic medical records.