A system for facilitating searches for data stored on a network includes a computer system forming a node on the network and having a database of electronic documents, each of which are associated with at least one resource description. A printer is connected to the network for receiving print instructions from the computer system to print a first document representing one of the electronic documents such that the first document carries information relating to the search to be carried out and coded data representing at least an identity of the printed document. A sensing device is capable of sensing the coded data and is operatively connected to the printer to write data representing the identity of the printed document to the computer system, via the printer and the network, the computer system being programmed to retrieve information from the network based on the resource description and to instruct the printer to print the information on a second document.