In a method for information access, search, and retrieval over a data communication system generally, wherein a query is applied to a set of documents, a result set of the matching documents and query-dependent subsections of the matching documents are identified. The method comprises computing summary information on document scopes, values and associated weights across the result sets and weighting the values with a summary value metric which provides a measure of the probability of a value. In a search engine (100) capable of supporting and implementing the above method, the search engine comprises as per se known subsystems for performing search and retrieval in the form of one or more core search engines (101), a content application programming interface (102), a content analysis stage (103) and a client application programming interface (106) connected to the core search engine (101) via query analysis and result analysis stages (105; 106). In addition the search engine (100) for supporting the above method comprises a first module (108) for specifying summary value metrics (SVMs), second and third modules (109; 110) for creating scopes and for assigning summary value metrics (SVMs) to the created scopes, and a fourth module (111) for indexing scopes, values and SVMs.