A method and system to derive association-explicit metadata, about a target data collection, that is useful to facilitate access and searching of the data collection, regardless of the organizational structure of the collection. The metadata may be generated to comprise DetailSelectors describing lowest level data elements; groups thereof that provide context for member DetailSelectors, plus Boolean properties for queries using such Selectors, and association links to higher-level GlueSelectors that comprise such DetailSelectors, as well as association links to yet higher levels, eventually to Items, which are of a level greater than the highest level GlueSelector, reference a predetermined collection of data in the target collection, and comprise suitable matches for all of the DetailSelectors represented. Such metadata may be used to present choices to a user for terms to add to a query while ensuring suitable match by information in at least one Item. Information about Groups of DetailSelectors and Groups of GlueSelectors, as well as information about content of a GlueSelector, may be presented to a user to reduce in the query and in the data thus located.