I am creating an Information Management Database for a small school and within the database I want to embed an MS Publisher file that the user-end Runtime version will be able to open, edit and upon saving it, it stays within Filemaker rather than become a link.

I could limit access to the container field for the user so that they couldn't delete the object.

Is the best way to do this to store it as an OLE object (without link)?

Storing as a file means the user will export the file, then save it in a location on their computer and I can't be guaranteed they will use that copy or the embedded copy, which once they edit, will be different.

Thanks for your help.

OLE is dead, FileMaker 12 does not support it anymore. There is very little you can do once the user has exported the file out, that part largely depends on the discipline of the user. You can set up a clear check-out/check-in mechanism so that the FM deatabase will clearly show that a user has checked-out one of the files and that you're waiting for the file to be checked in again.