The present invention provides a search method and system for matching a commodity to one or more applications for using the commodity. A plurality of properties associated with the commodity are identified. A collection of documents for searching for a plurality of combinations of the identified properties is also defined, wherein the combination includes a single property or multiple properties. The defined collection of documents is searched for all occurrences or indications of the combination of properties, and the hits are retrieved for those documents that include one or more of the identified properties. The hits are then associated with one or more subclasses of a classification scheme, and reviewed for those hits that include the identified properties of the commodity, but that need not otherwise identify the commodity per se.