[en] Methods of organizing a big information retrieval system are discribed. A special attention is paid to the file organization. An adapting file structure is described in more detail. The discussed method gives one the opportunity to organize large files in such a way that the response time of the system can be minimized, when the file is increasing. In connection with the retrieval strategy a method is proposed, which uses the frequencies of the descr/iptors and the couples of the descriptors to forecast the expected number of the relevant documents. Programmes are made, on the base of these methods, which are used in the information retrieval systems of JINR