A concept for providing hierarchical navigation information relative to one or more databases within a distributed computer system is described. In one aspect, this includes a process for hierarchically organizing bodies of information that includes: receiving a query from a user, abstracting a list of descriptors from one or more sources of information selected based on the query, organizing the list according to an hierarchy of nodes referenced in the one or more sources of information and providing information configured to facilitate displaying a graphical user interface illustrating the hierarchy and having user programmable server control classes for accession of nodes in the hierarchy.