12. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program product for managing federated search results in a computer system, said computer-readable medium consisting one of a floppy disk, a hard disk, a high capacity read only memory in the form of an optically read compact disk or CD-ROM, a DVD, a tape, a read only memory (ROM), and a random access memory (RAM), said computer program product including instructions executed by the computer system to cause the computer system to perform the steps of: receiving a user-entered search term and submitting the search term to multiple selected search engines; gathering search results from each of the selected search engines; generating a search ring including a respective ring section to represent search results from each respective one of the selected search engines for enabling the user to view search results from the selected search engines; generating a plurality of concentric circles within the generated search ring to indicate priority statistics for each of the selected search engines including a pair of inner concentric circles indicating set numbers of user selected prioritized results and an outer ring including a number of returns from each of the selected search engines; and generating a user-selected control within each said concentric circle receiving search results from the multiple search engines; and transmitting information that, when interpreted by the user terminal, allows the user terminal to generate a search ring, the search ring including a respective ring section to represent the search results from each respective one of the multiple search engines; and allows the user terminal to generate a plurality of concentric circles within the generated search ring to indicate priority statistics for each of the selected search engines including a pair of inner concentric circles indicating set numbers of user selected prioritized results and an outer ring including a number of returns from each of the selected search engines; and to generate a user-selected control within each said concentric circle portion of each said ring section; each said generated user-selected control for selecting search results to be returned for each of the multiple search engines.
12. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program product for managing federated search results in a computer system, said computer-readable medium consisting one of a floppy disk, a hard disk, a high capacity read only memory in the form of an optically read compact disk or CD-ROM, a DVD, a tape, a read only memory (ROM), and a random access memory (RAM), said computer program product including instructions executed by the computer system to cause the computer system to perform the steps of: receiving a user-entered search term and submitting the search term to multiple selected search engines; gathering search results from each of the selected search engines; generating a search ring including a respective ring section to represent search results from each respective one of the selected search engines for enabling the user to view search results from the selected search engines; generating a plurality of concentric circles within the generated search ring to indicate priority statistics for each of the selected search engines including a pair of inner concentric circles indicating set numbers of user selected prioritized results and an outer ring including a number of returns from each of the selected search engines; and generating a user-selected control within each said concentric circle receiving search results from the multiple search engines; and transmitting information that, when interpreted by the user terminal, allows the user terminal to generate a search ring, the search ring including a respective ring section to represent the search results from each respective one of the multiple search engines; and allows the user terminal to generate a plurality of concentric circles within the generated search ring to indicate priority statistics for each of the selected search engines including a pair of inner concentric circles indicating set numbers of user selected prioritized results and an outer ring including a number of returns from each of the selected search engines; and to generate a user-selected control within each said concentric circle portion of each said ring section; each said generated user-selected control for selecting search results to be returned for each of the multiple search engines. 14. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program product for managing federated search results as recited in claim 12 includes the steps of creating a graphical representation for each of the selected search engines.