A system for providing a graphical interface to a user includes a server platform and an operating system and application software running thereon. The system includes a client device capable of running a standard web browser that accesses the software application on the server platform for displaying information to the user in a display area on the client device. The web browser displays the information without requiring additional software to be installed, downloaded or run on the client device, and without requiring a scripting language to be enabled in the web browser on the client. The application software facilitates user manipulation of unstructured data in the display area for detailed inspection, and facilitates the user selectively causing to display annotations within the display area. The application software facilitates the user inserting annotations within the display area, thereby causing an action to occur in this system or an external system.