Add a Material
Any Open Educational Resource (OER) that’s online and has its own URL can be added* to the MERLOT Collection by any MERLOT member simply by filling out some basic information about the resource. If a subscription is required (such as a journal), the material is not open and not appropriate for MERLOT collection.
Follow these simple steps to add a material to MERLOT:
- Log in to MERLOT (www.merlot.org)**
- Click the Add menu at the top of the page and select, Add a Material to MERLOT
- On the Add a Material page, enter information in each field.
- After you’ve entered the URL, MERLOT will check that it is a valid address and will automatically fill in a few of the remaining fields (feel free to change any of these that need to be changed)
- Complete all required fields and as many optional fields as you can – the more information you provide, the easier it will be for others to discover the item in MERLOT
- Refer to the chart below if you have questions about the information required for any of the remaining fields
- Once you have completed all the fields, click Submit. If you wish to add additional items to MERLOT, click "Submit and add another"
| Field | Description | Required? |
| URL | Enter the web address (URL) of the material to view from MERLOT. | Required |
| Title | Enter the title of the material to be displayed in MERLOT and search result pages. | Required |
| Discipline | A material can be categorized into more than one discipline. Select the primary discipline from the drop down that best fits. The drop down will then repopulate to select any sub-disciplines that exist. Click the Add Another button to start a new discipline, or the Delete (Trash) button to remove one. | Required |
| Description | Describe the material being submitted, as specific as possible, to help others locate and use the material. | Required |
| Keywords | List any additional words that would be useful for a user searching MERLOT for such materials. | Optional |
| Image | Select an image from the available images to use in MERLOT. | Optional |
| Upload Image | Click the Choose Image button and select an image for the material being added | |
| Material Type | Select the best material type that matches what you are submitting. Only one material type can be selected for a material. (See a list of Material Types) | Required |
| Primary Audience | Select all educational levels for which the material could be used. | Required |
| Language | English is added as the default. If the language is different, select to material language, then click Add. To remove a language, click the X in its box. | Required |
| Author: First name | Enter the first name of the author of the material. Alternatively, click “Add myself as an Author” if this is a material you’ve created. | Optional |
| Author: Last name | Enter the last name of the Author of the material. | Optional |
| Author: Email | Enter the email address of the Author of the material. The author will be sent an email that their material has been submitted to MERLOT. If the email is not known, this field can be left blank. | Optional |
| Author: Organization | Enter the organization or group the author is affiliated with. If the organization is not known, this field can be left blank. | Optional |
| Technical Format | Select the appropriate technical format that best describes the material. | Optional |
| Is this resource a mobile app? | If this resource is a mobile app, select which mobile platform(s) for which the app is made. | Optional |
| Source Available | If source code is available for this material, click Yes, otherwise select No. If you are unsure, leave the default selection. | |
| Cost | Indicate whether or not there is a cost to use the material. | Optional |
| Is Accessibility Information Available? | Indicate whether or not accessibility information is available for this material. If you select yes, you will be sent an email to provide such information. | Optional |
| Creative Commons | Specify whether the content of the material you are submitting is licensed under Creative Commons License Conditions. For more information on Creative Commons, refer to license options at https://creativecommons.org/choose/. | Optional |
Deleting a Material
If you would like to permanently delete a material you have added to MERLOT, please send an email request to webmaster@merlot.org. There is no way to undo this action.
If you find a material in MERLOT submitted by another member that you feel is inappropriate or the link is broken, please use the "Report Broken Link" or "Report as Inappropriate" links on the Material Detail Page. The MERLOT Webmaster will receive notice and respond to the issue.
* MERLOT only hosts the metadata for materials listed on the website and provides a link to them and some other helpful descriptive information.
** If you are not a MERLOT member, you can join at merlot.org/merlot/join.htm