Contributor Program
Ethnologue wouldn’t be possible without contributions from experts, including researchers as well as speakers of under-documented languages. As a thank you, we offer complimentary access to anyone who contributes their expertise.
Getting Started
- Apply. Submit an application, and our editors will review your credentials. If you’re accepted, your account will receive trial access to Ethnologue for 90 days.
- Start contributing. During your trial period, submit at least one new or revised data point on a language you’re familiar with. To do so, simply log into your Contributor account, then click Submit new Contribution on any language or country profile page.
- Enjoy complimentary access. Once your first contribution is vetted and accepted, you’ll receive a complimentary Standard plan for the rest of the calendar year. To keep your plan active, you’ll need to earn credits as outlined below.
Earning Credits
- You’ll earn 1 credit for each data point that is vetted and accepted by our editors.
- As long as you have at least 1 credit on your account at the end of a calendar year, your complimentary Standard plan will be renewed for the next year.
- Each year, half of your credits will be carried forward. For example, say you earn 3 credits during your first year as a Contributor. At the end of the calendar year, your plan is renewed, and 1.5 credits are carried forward. This means that even if you don’t make a new contribution during your second year, you already have enough credits for your plan to be renewed again at the end of the year.
- If you reach the milestone of 100 contributions, you’ll be awarded lifetime complimentary access. It’s our way of saying thank you for the remarkable contributions you’ve made to our shared knowledge about the world’s languages.
Checking Your Status
- At any time, you can see how many credits you have by logging into Ethnologue and clicking My Account.
- We will also email you occasionally to keep you informed about your status. When your account drops below 1 credit, we’ll send you periodic reminders to contribute another update before the end of the year to keep your plan active.
Terms
As a Contributor, you agree to follow our Ethnologue Contributor Community Norms. Any credits earned can be used only toward your own Standard plan on Ethnologue.com. Credits cannot be used toward other Ethnologue products and services, nor can they be transferred to another person or organization.