Method to search objectively for maximal information

A method is disclosed for extracting maximal information in the output of document searches by key word queries. The method is based on Shannon information theory for objective ranking of the results. The data base may be unlinked, such as documents distributed over directories on a PC, or linked, such as the world-wide web. Approximate expressions for the Shannon information are disclosed using the existing word-frequencies in the natural language. The method enables numerical ranking of a list of concordances with footnotes referencing their source documents. Relatively extended concordances may be used for display on computer screens, or relatively short concordances for display on mobile devices.