FROM THE SYLLABUSThe Parts to be included in EVERY ANNOTATED Reference List for

Atkinson Com 200- all sections

( I Color Coded this for your ease in identifying sections- You may want to do this in your
paper , especially for the first one, to be sure ALL parts are covered.)
STEP 2- Annotated Reference List (100 pts): As soon as you have completed your proposed
reference list you should start reading and summarizing your articles. This is called an annotated
bibliography or annotate reference list. For each reference you should have:
the APA citation (in Bright Red)
The Authors Abstract (copied and pasted from the original scholarly article)* research question
or hypothesis, or thesis of the paper (in Spring Green)
*this is MY particular requirement, not the norm for an annotated list)
A description of the method (in True Blue) (Experiment? Survey? Focus group?) and sample
(Undergrad students? Convenience sample at a Mall?)
Any relevant definitions to your study (in Bright Blue--words that need explaining)
A brief summary of the major results (in Purple)
Statement of relevance to your study (in Marist Red)
Your summaries must be in your own words. When you quote the article,
be sure to do so in proper APA format. USE YOUR REFERENCE GUIDE!
Kaitlin Flynn (Your Name)
Professor Atkinson Com 200/??? (This course, this section)
27 February 2015 (Date)
Annotated Bibliography for:
Whiting, A., & Williams, D. (2013). Why people use social media: A uses and
gratifications approach. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 362-369.
Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
http://search.proquest.com.online.library.marist.edu/docview/1428875410?pqorigsite=summon
Abstract: Purpose - This paper seeks to demonstrate the importance of uses and gratifications
theory to social media. By applying uses and gratifications theory, this paper will explore and
discuss the uses and gratifications that consumer receive from using social media. This paper
seeks to provide a better and more comprehensive understanding of why consumers use social
media. Design/methodology/approach - Exploratory study was conducted. 25 in-depth interviews
were conducted with individuals who use social media. Findings - This study identified ten uses
and gratifications for using social media. The ten uses and gratifications are: social interaction,
information seeking, pass time, entertainment, relaxation, communicatory utility, convenience
utility, expression of opinion, information sharing, and surveillance/knowledge about others.
Research limitations/implications - Limitations are small sample size. Research implications are
that uses and gratifications theory has specific relevance to social media and should be given
more prominence. Uses and gratifications theory helps explain the many and varied reasons why
consumers use social media. Practical implications - This paper helps organizations to

understand why consumers use social media and what gratifications they receive from social
media. Originality/value - This paper makes the contribution that uses and gratifications theory
has specific relevance and should be given more prominence within the area of social media.
This paper also provides a rich and vivid understanding of why consumers use social media.
In this article, Anita Whiting and David Williams discuss social media and the uses and
gratifications approach. This approach tells the research why someone is using social media and
what rewards they get out of using it. The authors further discuss the seven themes for using
social media, such as: social interaction, information seeking, pass time, entertainment,
relaxation, communicatory utility, and convenience utility. After recognizing what could
possibly draw people to social media, they conducted a study. The authors asked 25 participants
aged 18 to 56 years old what drew them to social media and the two most common themes were
social interaction and information seeking. These two themes helped participants stay in the loop
on social media, and to seek information. The author states that the participants who used social
media to seek information were self-educating.
In regards to my research, this article would be beneficial because it reveals the reasons why
people are using social media. To understand if social media affects a college students grades,
you first need to understand why they are visiting social media in the first place. Through seeing
that the most common theme is social interaction and information seeking it is clear that this
article could be a platform for my research.
### REMEMBER: You may use quotations from the article and in-text
citations in your annotated bibliographies, just be sure to do them correctly.
(The Gaudete University Styles Sheet on Ilearn) shows examples.