diff --git a/publisher-api/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/mechanism/api/annotations/PublicationDriver.java b/publisher-api/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/mechanism/api/annotations/PublicationDriver.java
index df4fba2..2dab9c9 100644
--- a/publisher-api/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/mechanism/api/annotations/PublicationDriver.java
+++ b/publisher-api/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/mechanism/api/annotations/PublicationDriver.java
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 package org.iplantc.de.publish.mechanism.api.annotations;
 
 import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
+import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
+import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
 
 /**
  * Annotation that marks up a publish mechanism for discovery
@@ -12,6 +14,7 @@
  *
  */
 @Documented
+@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
 public @interface PublicationDriver {
 	/**
 	 * Author of the publisher plugin
diff --git a/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherDescription.java b/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherDescription.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b9860d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherDescription.java
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+/**
+ * 
+ */
+package org.iplantc.de.publish.sandbox;
+
+/**
+ * Describes publishers discovered in the sandbox
+ * 
+ * @author Mike Conway - DICE
+ *
+ */
+public class PublisherDescription {
+
+	private Class<?> publisherClass;
+	private String publisherName;
+	private String description;
+	private boolean asynch;
+	private String author;
+	private String version;
+
+	/**
+	 * 
+	 */
+	public PublisherDescription() {
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the publisherClass
+	 */
+	public Class<?> getPublisherClass() {
+		return publisherClass;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param publisherClass
+	 *            the publisherClass to set
+	 */
+	public void setPublisherClass(Class<?> publisherClass) {
+		this.publisherClass = publisherClass;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the publisherName
+	 */
+	public String getPublisherName() {
+		return publisherName;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param publisherName
+	 *            the publisherName to set
+	 */
+	public void setPublisherName(String publisherName) {
+		this.publisherName = publisherName;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the description
+	 */
+	public String getDescription() {
+		return description;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param description
+	 *            the description to set
+	 */
+	public void setDescription(String description) {
+		this.description = description;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the asynch
+	 */
+	public boolean isAsynch() {
+		return asynch;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param asynch
+	 *            the asynch to set
+	 */
+	public void setAsynch(boolean asynch) {
+		this.asynch = asynch;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the author
+	 */
+	public String getAuthor() {
+		return author;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param author
+	 *            the author to set
+	 */
+	public void setAuthor(String author) {
+		this.author = author;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the version
+	 */
+	public String getVersion() {
+		return version;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param version
+	 *            the version to set
+	 */
+	public void setVersion(String version) {
+		this.version = version;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * 
+	 * @see java.lang.Object#toString()
+	 */
+	@Override
+	public String toString() {
+		StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
+		builder.append("PublisherDescription [");
+		if (publisherClass != null) {
+			builder.append("publisherClass=").append(publisherClass)
+					.append(", ");
+		}
+		if (publisherName != null) {
+			builder.append("publisherName=").append(publisherName).append(", ");
+		}
+		if (description != null) {
+			builder.append("description=").append(description).append(", ");
+		}
+		builder.append("asynch=").append(asynch).append(", ");
+		if (author != null) {
+			builder.append("author=").append(author).append(", ");
+		}
+		if (version != null) {
+			builder.append("version=").append(version);
+		}
+		builder.append("]");
+		return builder.toString();
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulator.java b/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulator.java
index 778ba73..dcb209e 100644
--- a/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulator.java
+++ b/publisher-sandbox/src/main/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulator.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package org.iplantc.de.publish.sandbox;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.lang.annotation.Annotation;
 import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URL;
@@ -47,7 +48,28 @@ public PublisherEmulator() {
 
 	}
 
-	public Set<Class<?>> listPublishers() {
+	public List<PublisherDescription> listPublisherDescriptions() {
+		log.info("listPublisherDescriptions()");
+		Set<Class<?>> classes = listPublisherClasses();
+
+		for (Class clazz : classes) {
+			log.info("processing class:{}", clazz);
+			for (Annotation annotation : clazz.getDeclaredAnnotations()) {
+				log.info("...annotation:{}", annotation.toString());
+			}
+		}
+
+		return null;
+
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Method returns the classes for all registered publishers. Good for
+	 * debugging and testing purposes
+	 * 
+	 * @return <code>Set</code> of all of the annotated publisher classes
+	 */
+	public Set<Class<?>> listPublisherClasses() {
 
 		/*
 		 * see: https://github.com/ronmamo/reflections
diff --git a/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulatorTest.java b/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulatorTest.java
index d1f1c06..d417263 100644
--- a/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulatorTest.java
+++ b/publisher-sandbox/src/test/java/org/iplantc/de/publish/sandbox/PublisherEmulatorTest.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  */
 package org.iplantc.de.publish.sandbox;
 
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
 
@@ -58,9 +59,24 @@ public void testListPublishers() throws PublicationException {
 		PublisherEmulator emulator = new PublisherEmulator();
 		emulator.setSandboxConfiguration(sandboxConfiguration);
 		emulator.init();
-		Set<Class<?>> mechanisms = emulator.listPublishers();
+		Set<Class<?>> mechanisms = emulator.listPublisherClasses();
 		Assert.assertFalse("no mechanisms returned", mechanisms.isEmpty());
 
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testListPublicationDescriptions() throws PublicationException {
+		SandboxConfiguration sandboxConfiguration = new SandboxConfiguration();
+		sandboxConfiguration
+				.setJarFilePluginDir(testingProperties
+						.getProperty(PublisherTestingProperties.TEST_PUBLISHER_DIR_PROPERTY));
+		PublisherEmulator emulator = new PublisherEmulator();
+		emulator.setSandboxConfiguration(sandboxConfiguration);
+		emulator.init();
+		List<PublisherDescription> descriptions = emulator
+				.listPublisherDescriptions();
+		Assert.assertNotNull("null descriptions found:{}", descriptions);
+
+	}
+
 }