Data Entry/Import - Advice?

Hi There,

I'm building a database for a friend's company.

My query is really to do with the best way to add new records to their database.

The database has four tables:

[Species] which is linked to multiple loci in the [Locus] table. For each Locus their are multiple alleles in the [Allele] table. Additionally, there is the [Reference] table, each reference can be linked to one or more loci in [Locus].

Users could add a new species, it's loci, the alleles for each locus and select the reference for each locus from a list (or add a new reference) using the Form used to view the data. However, this is very time-consuming when there are a large number of species to add but is easiest for me, as it requires little or no extra coding.

The other way I was thinking, would be to do a kind of batch update from an excel file. This would suit the users better as their data are already in this format.

The problem is that I guess I can't do a simple import spreadsheet due to the one-to-many relationships, as there would be no primary/foriegn keys in the excel sheet.

Would the best way around this be to add the first species, then for this species add the first locus and its alleles, then the next locus and so on.. then the next species? This way I could use the keys as they are generated..

Alternatively, I could get excel to generate the keys, and query the Access database to make sure it is not generating keys already in use. Then I can do a more simple import procedure...

I can do either using VB. Which do you think would be 'best'? Or should I just tell the users they'll have to enter stuff by hand the long way?!

Cheers