A system and methods are provided for interactive construction of data queries. One method comprises: generating a query based upon a plurality of user-identified data items, wherein the user-identified data items are data items representing desired results from a query, and wherein information related to the user-identified data items is included in a “given” clause of the query, assigning received input data to a hierarchical set of categories, presenting to a user a plurality of new query results, wherein the plurality of new query results are determined by scanning the received input data to find data elements in the same hierarchical categories as those in the “given” query clause and not in the same hierarchical categories as those of an “unlike” clause of the query, receiving from the user an indication as to whether each query result of the presented plurality of new query results is a desirable query result, adding query results indicated by the user as desirable to the “given” clause of the query, adding query results indicated by the user as undesirable to the “unlike” clause of the query, evaluating a metric indicative of the accuracy of the query, and responsive to a determination that the query achieves a predetermined threshold level of accuracy, storing the query.