An adaptive picker for selecting data in disparate information systems is provided. The adaptive picker may be implemented by an application to pick items from one or more data stores, which are associated with other applications. The adaptive picker determines items provided by the data store that are available for picking and the types of data associated with the items. The adaptive picker receives key information provided by a user through the first application and searches for the available items based on the key information. The adaptive picker also filters the items to identify a desired item. The adaptive picker can determine the filtering capabilities associated with the data stores and automatically adapt to these filtering capabilities. The adaptive picker can retrieve a desired item with a key information search that matches the key information with a unique identifier associated with desired item. The key information search enables a user to pick an item without browsing. If the search returns multiple items, the adaptive picker can provide a disambiguation menu for selecting the desired. The search results can also be filtered by context determined by the adaptive filter. The context may include any parameter, such as the identity of a user, the time of day, an application the user is working within, an organizational discipline of the user, or the like.