Method and system for integrating web-based systems with local document processing applications

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system and software that allow users to readily access online legal research tools, while using other applications, such as word processors. One exemplary computer-implemented system provide an add-on software framework that integrates into a host word-processing application on a client access device. The add-on software framework allows users to select from an expandable listing of one or more web applications on a web server, with each of the web application capable of controlling operation of the host word processing application. The web applications facilitate extraction and access to information from the information-retrieval services as well as secondary source reference texts and incorporation of the information in the document or in metadata associated with the document. The present invention allows seamless user experience across host application, such as traditional word processing applications, and Information Service Providers (ISP), such as legal research database and searching tools, and Secondary sources, such as reference texts related to primary source documents, e.g., case law and statues, associated with the ISP service.