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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Alain Paul Martin

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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 delete. The consensus is that this page is more promotional in nature than encyclopedic. PhantomSteve/talk|contribs\ 02:26, 30 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Alain Paul Martin

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Alain Paul Martin (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) – (View log • Stats)
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Self-promotional page: WP:SPIP. Subject appears to have negligible press coverage or recognition. I searched Google and Google Scholar and mostly found the subject's books and promotional materials. The page tries to offer some basis for notability, but the claims exaggerate what is found in the cited sources. For example, "quoted in textbooks" is supported by a mention of one of the subject's books in a reading list in the back of an (apparently) obscure book. His "Harvard University Global System" appears to have no recognition outside of his own writings. The page mentions a product that he sells, his Harvard International Planner, and claims that it is a registered trademark of Harvard University. From what I could tell, Harvard University has nothing to do with it. There is a link to a book review, which misspells the subject's name and is hosted on the subject's web site. The article is mostly a string of self-promotional buzzwords. If someone can find an independent source for something notable that he really did, though, then let's replace the article with a description of that. —Ben Kovitz (talk) 14:25, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Authors-related deletion discussions. ★☆ DUCKISJAMMMY☆★ 14:44, 17 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This debate has been included in the list of Businesspeople-related deletion discussions. Ben Kovitz (talk) 14:21, 29 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Is the Advanced Leadership Fellowship of Harvard University a "highly selective and prestigious scholarly society" on par with the National Academy of Sciences or the Royal Society? The facts listed at http://advancedleadership.harvard.edu/2012-fellows/ for the other Fellows wouldn't make most of them notable enough for Wikipedia. Most seem to be managers, advisors, consultants. I think with criterion #3, it should be easy to find impressive accomplishments that gained the person such a high honor. What would we say about Mr. Martin in an article: "He's a 2012 Advanced Leadership Fellow of Harvard University, and he wrote these books"? —Ben Kovitz (talk) 08:19, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Just found this: At http://advancedleadership.harvard.edu/program-overview/, it says that this Fellowship started in 2009. (WP:PROF: "For the purposes of Criterion 3, elected memberships in minor and non-notable societies are insufficient (most newly formed societies fall into that category).") —Ben Kovitz (talk) 08:31, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
The link provided in the comment directly above describes a university program at Harvard University, and also states, "The Advanced Leadership Initiative is a new third stage in higher education designed to prepare experienced leaders to take on new challenges in the social sector where they potentially can make an even greater societal impact than they did in their careers." Regarding the fellowship, it's stated in the text that "Starting in January 2009, a select group of Fellows from diverse sectors with a track record of achievement and accomplishment have come to Harvard to transition from their primary income-earning careers and prepare for their next phase plan as change agents for society." The fact remains that Alain Paul Martin is a 2012 Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University, and Harvard doesn't induct fellows lightly whatsoever. Harvard is also an Ivy league university, which has significant connotations of adhering to very high standards of academic excellence. The individual continues to pass criterion #3 at the criteria section of WP:PROF. The above-mentioned link also refers to the fellowship as "a select group of Fellows", which is per Harvard University's (very high) standards. It's most certainly a significantly notable fellowship. Northamerica1000(talk) 16:52, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
We might have to disagree about whether the Advanced Leadership Initiative is a major, prestigious society. (Very little seems to have been written about it apart from a press release.) Two other questions, though. WP:PROF is for notability of academics, and Criterion #3 specifies fellowship in a scholarly society. Does the Advanced Leadership Society sound to you like a scholarly society? The other members appear to be managers, advisors, and businesspeople, not scholars. And is Mr. Martin an academic? Is he a professor? He appears to have never published anything in a scholarly journal, and never received any recognition for a scholarly achievement. —Ben Kovitz (talk) 22:07, 18 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
The problem is not solvable by copyediting. The problem is that the content is promotional: exaggerated claims about the subject supported by inaccurate citations, résumé puffery, and merchandise for sale by the subject. One of the prestigious-sounding awards from a prestigious-sounding "institute" actually comes from the subject's publisher, which is the subject's own consulting business. It won't come as a surprise that the content was written by the subject and by single-purpose accounts with a writing style remarkably similar to that of the subject. Please see WP:NOTADVERTISING, WP:NOTPROMOTION, WP:RESUME. —Ben Kovitz (talk) 20:29, 27 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  • Keep - This topic passes meets critera #3 of WP:AUTHOR, having created a significant work that has been the subject of an independent book review.
  • Here's the review: McGonagle, John (August 2003). "Book Reviews" (PDF). Competitive Intelligence Magazine. Society for Competitive Intelligence: 72. Retrieved Nov. 2008. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
Published works by Alain Paul Martin:
—Northamerica1000(talk) 18:22, 27 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Criterion #3 requires a "significant, well-known work" and "multiple, independent articles or reviews". This review was noted in the nomination: it is hosted on the subject's personal web site, and doesn't even spell the subject's name correctly. We have no evidence that any of the author's books are significant or well-known. The subject appears to be using Wikipedia to advertise them and his other wares. Most of the books appear to be advertisements for the subject's consulting business, which is also the publisher. —Ben Kovitz (talk) 20:29, 27 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps additional reviews are available. Competitive Intelligence Magazine published the above-mentioned review; where it's mirrored isn't particularly important. Northamerica1000(talk) 21:24, 27 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This debate has been included in the list of Academics and educators-related deletion discussions. Xxanthippe (talk) 22:57, 28 May 2012 (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.
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