What key element should be considered while formatting citations on the reference page?

The inclusion of the author's last name is crucial when formatting citations on the reference page because it allows readers to easily identify the source of the information being referenced. In many citation styles, such as APA or MLA, the author's last name is a primary element that helps establish authorship and credibility. Including the last name also facilitates cross-referencing within the text, where proper in-text citations are often linked to a detailed reference entry containing the author's last name along with other bibliographic information, such as the title, publication year, and publisher.

While other factors, like the publication year or context of the source, play roles in an overall citation, they do not offer the same level of immediate identification as the author's last name does. The author's birthplace is generally irrelevant in citation formats and does not contribute to the proper acknowledgment of the source in academic writing. Thus, choosing to emphasize the author's last name aligns with the established conventions of citation and enhances the clarity and reliability of the scholarly work.