When citing a source on a handout, which element is essential?

• A. The font size.
• B. The author’s name and date.
• C. The cover image.
• D. The number of pages.

Answer: (B)

When you include a citation on a handout, the most important pieces are who created the source and when it was produced or published. The author identifies the work and helps readers locate the exact source, while the date shows the edition or version and signals how current the information is. Formatting details like font size, a cover image, or the total number of pages don’t help someone verify or locate the source, so they aren’t essential for the citation itself. In a full bibliography, you’d include more details, but the author and date form the core identifiers that establish who produced the work and when.