IEEE Citation Style: The Complete Guide (With Examples)

IEEE citation style guide: numbered in-text citations, reference list rules and examples for journals, books, conference papers, websites and standards.

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How IEEE citation works

A numbered system built for engineering and computing

Number in order of first useThe first source you cite is [1], the next [2].
Reuse the same numberCite a source again with its original number.
Square brackets in the texte.g. "as shown in [3]" or [2], [4]–[6].
Numbered reference listIn numerical order, not alphabetical.

Initials come before surnames: J. Smith, not Smith, J.Collepals.com

IEEE style is the standard citation style in electrical and electronic engineering, computer science, information technology and related technical fields. It's developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and is used in its journals, conferences and many university engineering programs.

This guide explains how IEEE citations work, how to format the reference list, and gives examples for journals, books, conference papers, websites, standards and more.

Please note: IEEE updates its reference guidance periodically, and some universities adapt it. Always follow your course's instructions and the latest IEEE Reference Guide.

How IEEE Citation Works

IEEE is a numbered citation style:

Each source is given a number in the order it's first cited in your text.
The number appears in square brackets: [1].
If you cite the same source again, use the same number.
The reference list at the end is in numerical order, not alphabetical.

IEEE In-Text Citations

Single source: "Remote monitoring reduced power losses [1]."
As a noun: "As shown in [2], the algorithm improves accuracy."
Naming the author: "Smith [3] proposed a new model."
Multiple sources: [1], [4] or a range [2]–[5].
Specific pages or figures: [1, p. 12], [2, Fig. 3] or [4, Sec. 2].

Place the citation inside the sentence punctuation, typically before the full stop or comma.

Formatting the IEEE Reference List

Title it "References".
List sources numerically in the order they were first cited.
Put the reference number in square brackets, flush left, with the entry indented after it.
Write author initials before the surname: J. Smith.
For up to six authors, list all names. For more than six, list the first author followed by "et al."
Put article, chapter and conference paper titles in quotation marks, in sentence case.
Italicise book, journal and conference proceedings titles.
Abbreviate journal and conference names using standard IEEE abbreviations where possible.
Abbreviate months: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sep., Oct., Nov., Dec. (May, June and July in full).

IEEE Reference Examples

These examples use invented sources to show the format.

Journal article

[1] J. Smith and M. Lee, "Remote work and employee wellbeing," J. Workplace Stud., vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 45–67, Mar. 2024, doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx.

Book

[2] J. Smith, Modern Workplaces, 2nd ed. City, Country: Example Press, 2023.

Chapter in an edited book

[3] M. Lee, "Supporting remote teams," in Leadership in Practice, A. Brown and C. Green, Eds. City, Country: Example Press, 2022, pp. 101–120.

Conference paper

[4] A. Brown, C. Green, and D. White, "A low-power sensor network for smart buildings," in Proc. Int. Conf. Example Eng., City, Country, 2025, pp. 1–5.

Website

[5] Example Organization, "Title of webpage." Example Website. Accessed: Oct. 1, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.example.com

Standard

[6] Title of Standard, Standard number, Year.

Thesis or dissertation

[7] A. Author, "Title of thesis," M.S. thesis, Dept. Name, Univ. Name, City, Country, 2024.

Software or dataset

[8] A. Author, "Title of software or dataset," Version 1.0, Year. [Online]. Available: URL

More than six authors

[9] A. Brown et al., "Title of article," Abbrev. Journal, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 10–20, 2025.

Formatting an IEEE Paper

IEEE journal and conference papers use a two-column template, but student assignments usually follow your instructor's layout. Common conventions include:

Figures: label as "Fig. 1" with a caption below the figure.
Tables: label as "TABLE I" with Roman numerals and a title above the table, in many IEEE templates.
Equations: number on the right in parentheses, such as (1), and refer to them as "(1)" or "Equation (1)" at the start of a sentence.
Units: use SI units consistently.

IEEE vs. APA at a Glance

	IEEE	APA 7
In-text	[1]	(Smith, 2024)
List order	Numerical, by first citation	Alphabetical
Author names	J. Smith	Smith, J.
Main fields	Engineering, computing	Social sciences, nursing

← Swipe the table to see all columns →

Common IEEE Mistakes

Numbering sources alphabetically instead of by first citation.
Giving a source a new number each time it's cited.
Putting surnames before initials.
Using round brackets instead of square brackets.
Missing volume, issue or page numbers.
Inconsistent journal abbreviations.

IEEE Citation Checklist

Sources numbered in order of first citation.
Same number used for repeated citations.
Square brackets in the text.
Reference list in numerical order.
Initials before surnames and correct italics.
DOIs or URLs included for online sources.

See also our guides to APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago, Harvard and Vancouver.

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