What is IEEE citation style?
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) style is a widely used citation style for writing research papers in computer science and electrical engineering. The IEEE citation style is known for its use of numerical referencing within square brackets, rather than the traditional use of superscript numbers. This referencing system allows authors to easily reference multiple sources within a single sentence.
The IEEE citation style also provides clear guidelines for formatting references in the reference list, including the use of capitalization and italicization for book and journal titles. The reference list should be ordered alphabetically by the first author’s last name and must include all sources cited within the paper.
Additionally, the IEEE style requires consistent use of abbreviations, such as “IEEE” and “Trans.” for “Transactions.” Adherence to the IEEE citation style enhances the professionalism and readability of a research paper and helps to establish credibility for the author and the research being presented.
IEEE In-Text Citation Rules
IEEE style uses numerical referencing in square brackets within the text of a paper to indicate sources. These references are listed in the order they appear in the text and correspond to a complete reference in the reference list at the end of the paper.
In IEEE format, in-text citations should appear at the end of a sentence and before the period. The reference number is placed in square brackets, with no punctuation between the number and the sentence. For example:
[1] states that the use of renewable energy sources is increasing.
When referencing multiple sources in a single sentence, the reference numbers are listed in square brackets and separated by a comma. For example:
Several studies [1, 2, 3] have shown the benefits of using renewable energy sources.
It is important to note that IEEE style requires a complete reference for every in-text citation, which must be included in the reference list at the end of the paper.
IEEE In-Text Citation Examples
References in Text
Not all sources included in the References need to be cited within the text. When they are cited, they appear on the line in square brackets within the punctuation marks.
Grammatically, they may be treated as if they were footnote numbers, e.g.:
…as shown by Brown [4], [5]; as mentioned earlier [2], [4]–[7], [9]; Kwon [4] and Thalin and Peters [5]; Park et al. [7]
NOTE: Use et al. when three or more names are given for a reference cited in the text.
or as nouns:
…as demonstrated in [3]; according to [4] and [6]–[9].
Here are some more examples of IEEE in-text citations:
According to a recent study [1], the use of renewable energy sources has increased significantly in the past decade.
The benefits of using renewable energy sources include reduced greenhouse gas emissions [2] and decreased dependence on non-renewable sources [3].
In a survey of 1000 individuals, 80% agreed that it is important to invest in renewable energy [4].
Note that the reference numbers in square brackets correspond to complete references listed in the reference list at the end of the paper. The reference list should include all sources cited in the text and be ordered according to the first author’s last name or the title if no author is listed.
References Within a Reference
When citing references included within another reference, check the reference list for ibid. or op. cit. These terms refer to a previous reference and should be eliminated from the reference section. In the text, repeat the earlier reference number and renumber the reference section accordingly. If the ibid. gives a new page number, or other information, use the following forms:
[3, Th. 1]; [3, Lemma 2]; [3, pp. 5–10]; [3, eq. (2)]; [3, Fig. 1]; [3, Appendix I]; [3, Sec. 4.5]; [3, Ch. 2, pp. 5–10]; [3, Algorithm 5].
NOTE: Editing of references may entail careful renumbering of references, as well as the citations in text. Always query the author when renumbering references and text citation
Citing References in IEEE
Books
| Format | [1] A. Author, “Book Title,” Publisher, City, State, Country, Year. |
| Examples | [1] J. R. Smith, “Renewable Energy Sources,” Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2012. [2] M. Johnson and A. Brown, “The Future of Energy,” Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA, 2015. |
Book With Editor(s)
| Format | [1] A. Author, B. Author, “Chapter Title,” in: A. Editor, B. Editor (Eds.), “Book Title,” Publisher, City, State, Country, Year, pp. X-y. |
| Examples | [1] J. R. Smith, “The History of Renewable Energy,” in: M. Johnson and A. Brown (Eds.), “The Future of Energy,” Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA, 2015, pp. 1-20. [2] M. Johnson and A. Brown, “The Benefits of Renewable Energy,” in: J. R. Smith (Ed.), “Renewable Energy Sources,” Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2012, pp. 21-40. |
Translated Book
| Format | [1] A. Author, “Book Title,” Translated by B. Translator, Publisher, City, State, Country, Year. |
| Examples | [1] J. R. Smith, “Renewable Energy Sources,” Translated by M. Johnson, Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2012. [2] M. Johnson and A. Brown, “The Future of Energy,” Translated by J. R. Smith, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA, 2015. |
Conference Paper (Paper Presented at a Conference)
| Format | [1] A. Author, B. Author, “Paper Title,” in: Proceedings of the Conference Name, City, State, Country, Year, pp. X-y. |
| Examples | [1] J. R. Smith, M. Johnson, “Renewable Energy in the 21st Century,” in: Proceedings of the International Conference on Energy, Berlin, Germany, 2012, pp. 1-10. [2] M. Johnson, A. Brown, “The Future of Renewable Energy,” in: Proceedings of the Energy Summit, New York, NY, USA, 2015, pp. 11-20. |
Conference Paper Online
| Format | [1] A. Author, B. Author, “Paper Title,” in: Proceedings of the Conference Name, City, State, Country, Year, pp. x-y, [Online]. Available: URL |
| Examples | [1] J. R. Smith, M. Johnson, “Renewable Energy in the 21st Century,” in: Proceedings of the International Conference on Energy, Berlin, Germany, 2012, pp. 1-10, [Online]. Available: https://www.conference.org/proceedings [2] M. Johnson, A. Brown, “The Future of Renewable Energy,” in: Proceedings of the Energy Summit, New York, NY, USA, 2015, pp. 11-20, [Online]. Available: https://www.energysummit.org/proceedings |
Journal Article
| Format | [1] A. Author, “Title of Article,” Abbrev. Title of Journal vol. x, no. x, pp. xxx-xxx, Month Year. |
| Examples | [1] J. Smith, “The Future of AI,” IEEE J. Artificial Intell. vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 123-135, Dec. 2022. [2] M. Doe, “Machine Learning in Healthcare,” Health Inf. J. vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 214-230, Sept. 2022. |
Website
Report
| Format | [1] A. Author, “Title of Report,” Name of Organization, City, State, Month Year. |
| Examples | [1] T. Nguyen, “Global AI Market Report 2022,” Gartner Inc., Stamford, CT, Sept. 2022. [2] L. Jackson, “Artificial Intelligence in Education,” National Education Association, Washington, DC, Jan. 2023. |
IEEE Reference Page Formatting
The IEEE reference page appears on a separate page at the end of your paper. Include the heading “References” at the top of the page in bold text, either centered or left-aligned..
References should be numbered in the order they are cited in the text. The numbers appear in brackets on the left side of the page, creating a separate column from the references themselves, which are indented and align vertically.
IEEE references should be single-spaced, and the following reference should appear on the next line.
Review Your Style Formatting Before Journal Submission
As most researchers already know, applying correct formatting for any academic style (including APA style, MLA, style, Chicago style, and Vancouver style) is difficult and mistakes are easy to make. To ensure that your academic work is ready to submit to journals, be sure to get professional proofreading services for your manuscript, including paper editing and manuscript editing.
As part of a comprehensive language editing process, Wordvice applies formatting of citations and references for any style upon request.