A parallel database system retrieval method and system for transferring from database operation servers to a front end server only those data items that are used in subsequent processing, thereby shortening the query time when the unused data are massive. The invention allows an initial retrieval query to transfer only location information about the target data from a database operation server to the front end server. Using the location information the invention permits a subsequent query to get variable-bound location information so that the latter query will retrieve a desired sub-data item according to the acquired location information and dictionary information about the sub-data item locations within the data.