Citation Guide

IEEE Citation Format Guide

The complete guide to citing sources in IEEE style for engineering, computer science, and technical papers.

Last updated: December 2024 | Reading time: 8 minutes

TL;DR - IEEE Citation Basics

Numbered system: References are numbered [1], [2], [3] in order of appearance
Author format: First initial + last name (J. Smith, not John Smith)
Abbreviations: Journal names must be abbreviated (Trans., J., Conf.)
Title case: Article titles in sentence case, book titles capitalized

What is IEEE Citation Style?

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) citation style is a numbered reference system widely used in engineering, computer science, and technical fields. Unlike author-date systems (APA, Harvard), IEEE uses sequential numbers in square brackets.

In-text citation example:

"Recent advances in deep learning [1] have enabled significant improvements in natural language processing [2], [3]. As demonstrated by Smith et al. [4], transformer architectures outperform traditional methods [5]-[7]."

IEEE Citation Examples with BibTeX

Journal Article

[#] A. Author, "Article title," Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, pp. #-#, Month Year.

Example:

[1] J. Smith and M. Johnson, "Deep learning for signal processing," IEEE Trans. Signal Process., vol. 68, pp. 1234-1245, Mar. 2023.

BibTeX Entry:

@article{smith2023deep,
  author = {Smith, John and Johnson, Mary},
  title = {Deep learning for signal processing},
  journal = {IEEE Trans. Signal Process.},
  volume = {68},
  pages = {1234--1245},
  year = {2023},
  month = {Mar}
}

Conference Paper

[#] A. Author, "Paper title," in Proc. Conf. Name, City, Country, Year, pp. #-#.

Example:

[2] K. Lee, "Neural network optimization," in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Mach. Learn., Vancouver, Canada, 2023, pp. 567-574.

BibTeX Entry:

@inproceedings{lee2023neural,
  author = {Lee, Kevin},
  title = {Neural network optimization},
  booktitle = {Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Mach. Learn.},
  address = {Vancouver, Canada},
  year = {2023},
  pages = {567--574}
}

Book

[#] A. Author, Book Title, ed. City, Country: Publisher, Year.

Example:

[3] R. Brown, Digital Signal Processing, 3rd ed. New York, NY, USA: Wiley, 2022.

BibTeX Entry:

@book{brown2022digital,
  author = {Brown, Robert},
  title = {Digital Signal Processing},
  edition = {3rd},
  publisher = {Wiley},
  address = {New York, NY, USA},
  year = {2022}
}

Website

[#] Author/Organization, "Page title," Website Name. URL (accessed Date).

Example:

[4] IEEE, "IEEE citation guidelines," IEEE Author Center. https://ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org (accessed Dec. 1, 2024).

BibTeX Entry:

@misc{ieee2024citation,
  author = {{IEEE}},
  title = {IEEE citation guidelines},
  howpublished = {IEEE Author Center},
  url = {https://ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org},
  note = {Accessed: Dec. 1, 2024}
}

Common IEEE Abbreviations

IEEE requires abbreviated journal and conference names. Here are the most common abbreviations:

Transactions

Trans.

Journal

Conference

Conf.

International

Int.

Proceedings

Proc.

Society

Soc.

Engineering

Eng.

Computer

Comput.

Electronic

Electron.

Communication

Commun.

Volume

vol.

Number

no.

Pages

pp.

Edition

ed.

Common IEEE Citation Mistakes

Using author full names

Wrong:

[1] John Smith, "Paper title..."

Correct:

[1] J. Smith, "Paper title..."

Tip: Use first initial + last name format

Not abbreviating journal names

Wrong:

IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence

Correct:

IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell.

Tip: Always use standard IEEE abbreviations

Inconsistent number formatting

Wrong:

References numbered (1), (2), (3)

Correct:

References numbered [1], [2], [3]

Tip: IEEE uses square brackets, not parentheses

Missing volume/issue information

Wrong:

[1] J. Smith, "Title," IEEE Trans., pp. 1-10, 2023.

Correct:

[1] J. Smith, "Title," IEEE Trans., vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 1-10, 2023.

Tip: Include volume and issue when available

Citing Multiple Authors

Authors	Format
1 author	J. Smith
2 authors	J. Smith and M. Johnson
3 authors	J. Smith, M. Johnson, and K. Lee
4-6 authors	List all authors
7+ authors	J. Smith et al.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I number IEEE references?

IEEE uses numbered references in square brackets [1], [2], [3]. References are numbered in the order they first appear in the text, not alphabetically. The reference list at the end should be in numerical order.

Should I abbreviate journal names in IEEE format?

Yes, IEEE requires abbreviated journal names. Use standard IEEE abbreviations (e.g., 'Transactions' becomes 'Trans.', 'Journal' becomes 'J.'). The IEEE provides an official list of abbreviations.

How do I cite multiple sources at once in IEEE?

List consecutive numbers as a range [1]-[3] and non-consecutive numbers separated by commas [1], [4], [7]. You can also combine: [1], [3]-[5], [8].

What's the difference between IEEE and other numbered styles?

IEEE uses square brackets [1] while Vancouver uses parentheses (1). IEEE has specific abbreviation rules and formatting for technical publications that other numbered styles don't require.

How do I cite a preprint or arXiv paper in IEEE?

Treat it as an online source: [#] A. Author, "Title," arXiv:XXXX.XXXXX [cs.XX], Month Year. Include the arXiv identifier and subject area.

Do I need DOIs in IEEE citations?

DOIs are optional but increasingly encouraged. If included, add at the end: doi: 10.XXXX/XXXXX. For online-only publications, DOIs are recommended.

IEEE Citations in TypeTeX

TypeTeX makes IEEE citations effortless:

Auto-formatting: Just cite - we handle IEEE formatting automatically
BibTeX import: Drop your .bib file, start citing immediately
Auto-abbreviations: Journal names abbreviated correctly
Style switching: Change from IEEE to APA with one click

Related Citation Guides

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Learn BibTeX format and syntax

APA Citation Guide

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Common Citation Mistakes

Errors to avoid in your papers

All Citation Guides

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Stop formatting IEEE citations manually

TypeTeX handles IEEE formatting automatically. Import your BibTeX, cite with a keystroke, and focus on your research.

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This guide is for educational purposes. Always verify citation requirements with your institution or publisher. IEEE citation standards may be updated periodically - check the official IEEE Author Center for the latest guidelines.