IEEE citation style uses numbers in square brackets in the text, such as [1], and a reference list ordered by the number each source first receives. It is the standard style in electrical engineering, electronics, computing and many other technical fields.
This guide explains how the numbering works, where citations go in a sentence, and how to format the source types engineers use most, from journal articles to standards and datasets.
IEEE Citation in Brief
Number sources in the order you first cite them, and reuse the same number every time you cite that source again. Put the number in square brackets inside the sentence, before any punctuation.
The reference list, titled References, lists sources in numerical order. Each entry starts with author initials, then the surname, and journal names are abbreviated and italicized.
What Is IEEE Citation Style?
IEEE style comes from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, which publishes a reference guide for its journals and conferences. Universities use it for engineering reports, lab write-ups, theses and design projects.
Numbered styles suit technical writing because citations take up little space, which keeps dense equations and descriptions readable. The trade-off is that a reader must check the list to see who wrote a source.
| Feature | IEEE | APA 7 |
|---|---|---|
| In-text marker | [1] | (Author, Year) |
| List order | Order of first citation | Alphabetical |
| Author names | Initials first: J. K. Lee | Surname first: Lee, J. K. |
| Journal names | Abbreviated, italic | Full, italic |
| Date position | Near the end | After the author |
IEEE in-Text Citations
- Place the bracketed number inside the sentence, before full stops and commas: ...as reported in [2].
- Use the number as a noun if you like: "In [4], the authors propose..." or "Lee [4] shows...".
- Reuse a source's original number whenever you cite it again.
- For several sources, list each in its own brackets: [1], [3], [7].
- For a continuous range, use a dash: [2]–[5].
- For a specific page or section, add it inside the bracket: [3, p. 12] or [3, Sec. 4].
Earlier converter designs traded efficiency for size [1], [2]. Wang et al. [3] reduced switching losses by 12%, and similar gains have since been reported for higher frequencies [4]–[6]. The approach in [3, Sec. III] forms the basis of this design.
The figures in the example are illustrative.
IEEE Reference List Rules
- Title the list References and place it at the end of the paper.
- List entries in numerical order, with the number in square brackets at the left margin.
- Write authors as initials then surname: A. B. Kim. Use "and" before the last author.
- List up to six authors. For more than six, give the first author followed by et al.
- Put article, chapter and conference paper titles in quotation marks, capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns.
- Italicize titles of journals, books and conference proceedings, using standard IEEE abbreviations for journals.
- Abbreviate months in dates, such as Jan., Feb. and Mar.
Journal Articles
Pattern
[n] A. Author, B. Author, and C. Author, "Title of article," Abbrev. Title of Journal, vol. x, no. x, pp. xxx–xxx, Abbrev. Month Year, doi: xxx.
Example with DOI
[1] L. Wang, P. Ortiz, and S. Mehta, "Loss reduction in compact buck converters," IEEE Trans. Power Electron., vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 4120–4131, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.0000/tpel.2023.0412.
Example without DOI
[2] R. Okafor, "Thermal limits in printed circuit boards," J. Electron. Packag. Stud., vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 55–63, 2021.
These examples are illustrative. Use the journal's official abbreviation, which you can usually find on the journal's own website or in an abbreviation index.
Books and Chapters
Book
[3] K. Mensah, Digital Signal Processing for Engineers, 3rd ed. London, U.K.: Harbor Press, 2020.
Book with no edition stated
[4] T. Ross and M. Liu, Embedded Systems Design. Boston, MA, USA: Northgate, 2019.
Chapter in an edited book
[5] J. Park, "Sensor fusion for robotics," in Advances in Autonomous Systems, A. Silva, Ed. Berlin, Germany: Westbrook, 2022, pp. 101–128.
Give the city, the state for US publishers, and the country. Add the edition only if it is not the first.
Conference Papers
Pattern
[n] A. Author, "Title of paper," in Proc. Abbrev. Name of Conf., City, Country, Year, pp. xx–xx, doi: xxx.
Example
[6] S. Mehta and L. Wang, "Low-cost current sensing for battery packs," in Proc. Int. Conf. Power Syst., Toronto, ON, Canada, 2022, pp. 210–215.
Abbreviate words in the proceedings title using IEEE's standard abbreviations, such as Proc., Int., Conf. and Symp.
Websites, Standards, Theses and Datasets
Web page (current IEEE guide form)
[7] Author or organization. "Title of page." Website name. URL (accessed Mon. Day, Year).
Standard
[8] Title of Standard, Standard number, Year.
Thesis
[9] A. Author, "Title of thesis," M.S. thesis, Dept. Name, Univ. Name, City, Country, Year.
Dataset
[10] A. Author. "Title of dataset." Repository name. DOI or URL.
Older templates format online sources with "Accessed: Mon. Day, Year. [Online]. Available: URL". Some departments still use that layout, so follow your course template if it shows one. See the dedicated guide to IEEE website citations for more cases.
Wikipedia and similar sites can be cited in this format, but most tutors discourage them for technical claims. Use them to find primary sources, then cite those instead.
For quick, consistent entries, the free Bibloq citation generator formats IEEE references from a DOI or URL.
Patents, Datasheets and Manuals
Engineering reports often cite sources that rarely appear elsewhere. A patent in IEEE gives the inventor, the title in quotation marks, the country and patent number, and the date: [11] A. Inventor, "Title of patent," U.S. Patent x xxx xxx, Mon. Day, Year.
Manufacturer datasheets and user manuals have no single fixed pattern across courses. Give the company as author, the document title, any part or document number, the date or revision, and a URL, and follow your department's template where it shows one.
Numbering and Ordering the List
The most common IEEE error is a list out of step with the text. Numbers come from the order of first citation, not alphabetical order or importance.
- Read through your paper and note each source the first time it appears.
- Assign 1 to the first, 2 to the next new source, and so on.
- Reuse numbers for repeat citations.
- Order the list to match.
- After any edit that moves or adds a citation, recheck the sequence.
Reference managers and cross-referencing tools in your word processor can renumber automatically, which saves time on long reports.
Figures and Tables Taken from Sources
If you reproduce or adapt a figure or table, cite the source in the caption with its reference number, for example "Adapted from [4]." The source still appears in the reference list in its numbered place, according to where it was first cited in the text or captions.
Common IEEE Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Alphabetical reference list | Order by first citation |
| New number for a repeated source | Reuse the original number |
| Full first names | Use initials before the surname |
| Unabbreviated journal names | Use the official abbreviation in italics |
| Citation after the full stop | Place [n] inside the sentence, before punctuation |
| Range written as [2-5] | Write [2]–[5] |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Put each number in its own brackets separated by commas, [1], [4], [6], or use a dash for a continuous range, [2]–[5].
No. Sources are listed in the order they are first cited in the text.
Up to six. For more than six, give the first author followed by et al.
Yes. Write "Wang et al. [3] showed..." The bracketed number is still required.
Use its original number every time. Do not assign a new number.
Inside the sentence, before the punctuation: "...in compact designs [2]."
Add it inside the bracket: [3, p. 12], or [3, pp. 12–15] for a range.
Yes. The current IEEE guide places "(accessed Mon. Day, Year)" after the URL; older templates use "Accessed:" before the URL.
If your department or module guide specifies IEEE, yes. Many engineering and computing departments use it for lab reports, design reports and theses.
Both are numbered styles that list sources in order of citation, but they differ in punctuation, author format and the treatment of titles. Use the one your course names.