How can we have several views show the same data without hitting the server each time? This is a simple idea, along with copious notes on my personal style. Fair warning: this is just a sketch and has never been executed.

angular-caching-service

ngModule.factory('contactSearchService', [
    'ContactResource',
    function (ContactResource) {
        // This is pretty much the most naive cache possible; do whatever makes sense for your use case.
        var lastQuery,
            lastResults;

        function invalidateCache() {
            //  Or similar mechanism...again, whatever makes sense for you.
            lastQuery = null;
            lastResults = null;
        }

        function searchContacts(query) {
            if (query === lastQuery) {
                return lastResults;
            }

            // You may or may not need a callback.  The $resource service will return an empty object immediately
            // and then update that object when the XHR returns.  Since you're usually putting the result on
            // $scope and reading it from the view or a $scope.$watch, you never need to worry about the update.
            // Observable magic FTW.
            lastResults = ContactResource.get({q: query});
            return lastResults;
        }

        // I like separating the implementation, above, and the API defined here.  
        return {
            invalidateCache: invalidateCache,
            searchContacts: searchContacts
        }
    }
]);

ngModule.controller('CrmSearchCtrl', [
    '$scope', 'contactSearchService',
    function ($scope, contactSearchService) {

        // *** Function Definition ***

        // Try to pass arguments directly into functions instead of passing them the long way around through the scope.
        // The latter becomes a big pain in tests.  In the view, you can do something like:
        // <input ng-model='query'>
        // <button ng-click='doSearch(query)'>
        function doSearch(query) {
            $scope.contactResult = contactSearchService.searchContacts(query);
        }

        function openRecord(entityType, recordId) {
            // AHH GLOBAL!  ;-)
            // just kidding...no worries for a POC, but in the long run, we've had success
            // wrapping these into proxies that we can inject.  Makes testing happy.
            // See Angular's $document and $window, etc.
            Xrm.Utility.openEntityForm(entityType, recordId, null);
        }

        // *** Scope Assignment ***
        // ^ I like breaking these two sections up.  Avoids trying to figure out where the hell some magic bit on the
        //   scope came from.

        $scope.doSearch = doSearch;
        $scope.openRecord = openRecord;

        $scope.doSearch('sample');
    }
]);