Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Robert Smith (professor)

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. Nomination withdrawn. (Non-admin closure) Till I Go Home (talk) 07:26, 26 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Robert Smith (professor)

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All of the sources that I can find leads back to his book which doesn't seem notable also. SL93 (talk) 16:43, 24 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Keep - Smith was one of the most important researchers in his field - his book "Kingdoms of the Yoruba" had a real impact on the study of the history of Nigeria. --Xijky (talk) 16:57, 24 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Comment Do you have any sources for this or is it just your opinion? Currently there are no independent WP:reliable sources on this article. noq (talk) 18:18, 24 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Keep One can assume that someone becomes a professor only after having been promoted through academia by being an expert in his field: I knew little of the history of the Yoruba, until I read his well-researched book. Wikipedia needs every article about Africa that people can contribute.Duncanogi (talk) 18:40, 24 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Keep - I've never read his books (there are multiple) but "Kingdoms of the Yoruba" has gone through multiple editions, and I see it being used as a reference quite a bit... Oyo Empire#Notes is an example of this. He seems to me to be a leading scholar on an important and under-represented field. PhnomPencil ^{talk contribs} 19:01, 24 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Keeps From other votes seems to be quite important — Preceding unsigned comment added by Robjp21019 (talk • contribs) 20:38, 24 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Academics and educators-related deletion discussions. —Tom Morris (talk) 21:28, 24 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Keep - I have added some reviews of his Kingdoms of the Yoruba. There seem to be loads of them. There seems enough for a pass of wp:author in addition to passing WP:prof via the notability of his work and the festschrift (which is also now mentioned). (Msrasnw (talk) 23:34, 24 November 2011 (UTC))[reply]
Keep. The number of reviews listed so far is not by itself completely convincing (lots of academic books get reviews) but the fact that they span a nearly 20-year range is. And the festschrift is also helpful. I think he passes WP:PROF#C1. —David Eppstein (talk) 06:51, 25 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I think you may be right that lots of academics get lots of reviews. But I take this to mean that they then might meet WP:Author #3 The person has created .. a significant or well-known work .. that has been the subject of .. of multiple independent periodical articles or reviews. Perhaps WP:Author needs rewording if academics are to be excluded from using it as I think our current guidelines suggest academics may be judged notable under it. Best wishes (Msrasnw (talk) 08:04, 25 November 2011 (UTC))[reply]

Comment: Consider this withdrawn. SL93 (talk) 19:00, 25 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.