I didn't get much of a response last time, so I will rephrase my problem.

How should I record non specific data into a database that requires specific values. Databases by nature require specific data. Example you can but in June 1/99 but not June /99 or just 99 unless you write a lot of code to allow this.

How should one allow this nonspecific data into the database. There are two sides to the issue

1) You know the data must be there (example: the product was sold in June)
2) You know the data will be wrong if you guess it (example: If you guess at June 1/99 you only have a 3% chance of being right).

How can this "non-specific" data be put into the database with the least of amount of trouble. Some ideas I have:

1) Don't put it in.
Pros: data in database is 100% accurate
Cons: data in incomplete (this may violate laws, ethics, or have a ripple effect to places like accounting)

2) Put the data and and make a best guess.
Pros: Easy.
Cons: Data is wrong. Lowers confidence of accuracy of data. May violate laws or ethics. May have a ripple effect elsewhere. Example: what if person returns the product before your best guess as to when it was sold.

3) Provide a method of allowing incomplete data.
Pros: System is flexible
Cons: Could require tons of work to accomplish this. The abillity to work with and report on the data could become very complex. Users may abuse this feature.

-------------
Examples of these kind of situations where we only know the approximate data.

1) Salesman takes stock from warehouse to customer without proper documentation, gets a check from the customer (without a date on it), promptly forgets about the check and discovers it 3 months later. We can recreate the invoice because we know (for instance) that the salesman started at the company in June 17, and the customer returned the product in Sept 4. We know the invoice has to between those dates. What should we do?

2) Patient arrives in hosp with broken arm. Is x-rayed then released. Tech didn't write down the time of the x-ray so we can't bill. We do know that the patient was admitted at 10am then released at 4pm.

3) A paper form for bill of sale was submitted for a toaster from a remote store. New clerk handwrote the date, we can only make out that it is June/99 but not the day. The problem is that manufactor's warranty is 90 days from the time of purchase.

and on...