Information management system

1. A method of operating an information management system, comprising:

accepting a first collection of source files;

parsing each source file in the first collection to extract tags;

comparing the tags extracted from each source file in the first collection to tags in at least one dictionary comprising a hierarchical listing of tags;

associating, with each source file in the first collection, the extracted tags that match tags in at least one dictionary;

generating a first virtual relational network comprising source files in the first collection having associated tags as nodes and tags associated with two or more source files in the first collection as links between the respective nodes;

displaying the first virtual relational network on a computer display; and

comparing the first virtual relational network to a second virtual relational network to identify nodes or links common to the first and second virtual relational networks, the first and second virtual relational networks being created from different collections of source files and at least one common dictionary.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein tags comprise text terms.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein tags comprise representations of embedded objects.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein parsing each source file in the first collection to extract tags comprises identifying the source file type and inputting the source file to a tag extraction and file transformation module that recognizes that file type.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein matching tags from each dictionary are associated with each source file as a separate set of tags.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transforming each source file to an archive file of a common file type, the archive file including at least all text extracted from the source file.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the common type is a text-readable Portable Document Format (PDF).

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

after generating the first virtual relational network, adding a new source file to the first collection; and

associating with the newly added source file, tags associated with all other source files in the first collection.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising associating with each source file in the first collection, any tags associated with the newly added source file.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising regenerating the first virtual relational network, including the newly added source file.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein associating tags with each source file further comprises associating a hierarchical level of the tags within the dictionary with each source file.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein generating a first virtual relational network comprises generating a hierarchical network corresponding to a hierarchy of matching dictionary tags.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a graphic representation of at least part of the first and second virtual relational networks.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein each virtual relational network link visually indicates in which dictionary the matching tag resides.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the graphic representation comprises a Venn diagram.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the second virtual relational network is created from a second collection of source files associated with a different entity than an entity associated with the first collection of source files.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the first collection of source files is associated with an entity at a first time, and the second virtual relational network is created from a second collection of source files associated with the same entity at a later time.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing other virtual relational networks in addition to the first and second virtual relational networks.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium including software operative to cause a computer to manage information by causing the computer to perform the steps of:

accepting a first collection of source files;

parsing each source file in the first collection to extract tags;

comparing the tags extracted from each source file in the first collection to tags in at least one dictionary comprising a hierarchical listing of tags;

associating, with each source file in the first collection, the extracted tags that match tags in at least one dictionary;

generating a first virtual relational network comprising source files in the first collection having associated tags as nodes and tags associated with two or more source files in the first collection as links between the respective nodes;

displaying the first virtual relational network; and

comparing the first virtual relational network to a second virtual relational network to identify nodes or links common to the first and second virtual relational networks, the first and second virtual relational networks being created from different collections of source files and at least one common dictionary.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein tags comprise text terms.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein tags comprise representations of embedded objects.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the software includes at least one tag extraction and file transformation module operative to parse each source file in the first collection and to extract tags therefrom.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 wherein the tag extraction and file transformation module is further operative to transform each source file to an archive file of a common file type.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 including software further operative to cause a computer to manage information by causing the computer to perform the steps of:

after generating the first virtual relational network, adding a new source file to the first collection; and

associating with the newly added source file, tags associated with all other source files in the first collection.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24 including software further operative to cause a computer to manage information by causing the computer to associate with each source file in the first collection, any tags associated with the newly added source file.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 including software further operative to cause a computer to manage information by causing the computer to display a graphic representation of at least part of the first and second virtual relational networks.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 including software further operative to cause a computer to manage information by causing the computer to compare other virtual relational networks in addition to the first and second virtual relational networks.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the second virtual relational network is created from a second collection of source files associated with a different entity than an entity associated with the first collection of source files.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the first collection of source files is associated with an entity at a first time, and the second virtual relational network is created from a second collection of source files associated with the same entity at a later time.