current Drupal challenge: adding a new referenced node without editing the current node

The Founders and Survivors project is giving me plenty of challenges and opportunities to learn more about Drupal (not to mention challenges of other kinds). This morning’s challenge is:

We have a view of the Archives of Tasmania convict index and a new, improved form for users to submit additional information on convicts, such as dates and places of birth and death. I have added an ‘additional information’ field to the convict index content type, which is a node reference to the ‘additional information’ type. I want users to be able to add an additional information node which is referenced from the relevant index node, without having to edit the index node.

The node_widget module looks like part of the solution: it allows you to add or edit the additional information node within the convict index node (which simplifies the process for non-tech users) but (1) it doesn’t include multigroup fields and (2) the user still has to edit the node, which I think is a stumbling block for our target audience.

I’m seeing responses coming in to my queries on identi.ca and twitter but I’m also posting here to help clarify things in my own mind and as a reference in case I do find a solution.