Using multiple copies of a lookup table in 'Relationships' and is that bad?

[ShovelinFishHeads]

I have a question regarding lookup tables and how one would best set up relationships to them.

For my current project, I am using a tables called 'States' to use for lookup purposes. I also happen to want to use this table with four other tables due to the fact that contact info is a significant piece of this db's purpose. So, I have StateID in four other tables (these are Foreign Keys, I guess?).

When defining relationships, is it best in this situation to show the States table one time and link it's PK to all of the foreign keys; or, have four copies of the States table with their respective PKs linked 'once' to each foreign key? When trying out the 'four copies' strategy, Access seems to have had some heartburn with that: it spontaniously deleted those relationships and relinked to one copy of my States table. Maybe this means I need leave it that way? Just looks like spagetti that way tho.

 

[pbaldy]

From what you describe, I'd have one copy. I'd have multiple if there were multiple fields in the same table, like origin state and destination state.