Database model, tools and methods for organizing information across external information objects

A system for organizing information across external information objects, comprises a results manager (20) for importing and viewing detailed experimental results as one type of representation of external information objects; a collection manager (30) for creating and manipulating collections of items representing external information objects; a story editor (40) for providing a narrative structure for textually organizing information about interactions between items, collections or items and collections; and a diagram editor (50) for incorporating items, collections or items and collections, into a graphical representation of a story; wherein an update of information contained in any one of the components comprising the results manager, collection manager, story editor, and diagram editor is made in the remainder of the components. Experimental data is verified and validated by overlaying items selected from the results manager onto a textual story provided in the story editor (40) or onto the graphical story provided in the diagram editor (50). The overlaid items are compared with the information in the textual story or the graphical story, and the result of the comparison is indicated in the story editor or in the diagram editor.