Each user can contribute to an original search and to refining the results of the search. Preferences of all of the users are considered in the search even while those preferences can be kept private. In some embodiments of the present invention, at least two users each submit a search query. The multiple search queries are logically combined to produce one set of search results. The results can be reviewed by the users and refined if necessary. In some embodiments, a search query can be specified by a single user, but the search engine takes into consideration the stored preferences of multiple users (in addition to the search query itself, of course).