How to arrange a database and avoid repeating data.

Hi

I have been given the task of designing a database for an entertainment agency. It will feature an ACT table with fields being act_id, act_name, members, location and act_type.

How do I deal with the problem of columns with repeating info. For example, there are 10 string quartet records to add so the field act_type will state string quartet ten times. Because that info is repeated does this mean that it should be in it's own STRING_QUARTET table and if so what would the fields be? The same issue happens with the location field, if many bands are based in London, shouldn't that have it's own LOCATION table?

Any help and guidance would be great and sorry if the question is a little naive.

Thanks

the answer depends on whether you trust the person entering act types and locations

they're going to enter forty-two instances of 'string quartet' and three with some other spelling of the same

if that doesn't bother you and if someone can go in once in a while to check spellings, you won't have to worry about any extra tables and all the coding that goes along with that

an act type table would give users only approved spellings to choose from, but you would have to build your app so that users would have some way of entering a new type of act (e.g. 'underwater ukelele') before adding an act that has that particular type

helps?