0
Formatting Guides

IEEE Citation: Format & Style

IEEE Citation Format
Worried about writing a unique paper?
Illustration

Use our free
Readability checker

The IEEE citation format is a referencing style created by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). It's commonly used in technical fields, especially engineering and computer science. It has its own way of referring to sources.

In IEEE style, sources are indicated with bracketed numbers in the order they appear in the text like [1], [2], etc. Each number corresponds to a full citation listed in the reference section at the end of the paper.

The references are numbered and listed in the same order they were cited in the text. Unlike APA or MLA, there is no need for the author's name or the publication date or page to be included in the in-text citation. Instead, the full information about the source is listed at the end of the paper in the references section. In this article, you will learn how to make an IEEE in-text citation and a reference list with all unique cases covered.

Don't have time to read? Try professional academic assistance. StudyCrumb is one of the leading essay writing websites that delivers authentic papers of any format.  

IEEE Citation: Main Formatting Rules

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers invented the IEEE citation format. This professional organization supports computer science. In addition to publishing journals, the IEEE also develops many standards. This includes rules for source citation in scientific papers.

For citing references in IEEE-style text, use the numbering in square brackets. They refer to the total citations listed in the reference. But there is an exciting feature! The reference is organized by numbers, not alphabetically.  

How to Do IEEE Citation

The IEEE citation format is used for computer science references. There are only three main parts needed for citing:

  • Author's name.
  • Title, patent, conference report in quotes.
  • Journal or book’s title in italics.

This system allows you to identify informational sources at a glance.

All punctuation marks, dates, and page numbers depend on what you are quoting. Therefore, follow our IEEE citation example in our guide carefully.  

IEEE in Text Citation

It is elementary to refer to the quotes. We will prove it with IEEE in-text citation example! No additional effort or information is required. Just mention the information in quotation marks. Then in square brackets, indicate the number, which is this quote in the text. What if you refer to this resource several times? Then use the same number for each citation taken from it. What if you are citing several sources simultaneously? List each number separately in square brackets, separated by commas. And then, already in the reference list, under this number, you will completely write down from which resource this information is.

For example:  

IEEE Citation: Reference List

You must indicate all information sources that you relied on in the IEEE reference list in your research and dissertation writing. Any borrowed ideas or quotes should also be shown in your text. The reference list should contain complete information. In IEEE referencing style, a number in the square brackets shows where you cite another author. And at the very end of your research, a list is provided with full links to the work used. Quotes and related links are not listed in alphabetical order. Put them the way they appear in your text. Entries should be in the order your sources are cited in the text. Start with the lowest number and move to the highest.

IEEE Citation Website

IEEE website citation in-text does not differ much from the usual format. Make a quote and add a number in square brackets. You should indicate a link to the web address where you got the information from. What if the data is published by an organization without personal names? List that institution as the author.

Let’s see a general formula for website citation in IEEE style.  

The example will look like this:

IEEE Website Citation example

IEEE Book Citation

Probably you are searching for IEEE citations of books. There are some exceptions for usual data that you always indicate when citing a book. If you clearly know the section your book is from, you are welcome to mention it. Also, sometimes there are no authors but an organization who wrote this book. Then you can use its name where the author's name should be.

This is how a general format looks like:  

Let’s take a look at the example of book citation in IEEE style:

IEEE Style Book Citation example

IEEE Citation: E-book

Generally speaking, you already know what you need to add for an E-book IEEE citation. Yes, we are talking about URLs. And here is a handy template you can use for detailed information:

The general formula of citing an e-book in IEEE citation style is as follows:  

Here is an example of this format:

IEEE Style E-book Citation Example

IEEE Citation: How to Cite Chapters in a Book

There are 4 ways for citing chapters in a book in IEEE style. So, first, you should figure out how exactly the book was published. This citation request requires a little bit more information to cover. But no worries, we provided you with detailed information below.

IEEE Journal Citation

IEEE journal citation format is one of the easiest among other styles. If you are referring to illustrations, photographs, or tables, also simply indicate the source's name. Use our template to guide you through.

The general format of IEEE journal citation will look like this:  

Take a look at the example of journal citation in IEEE style:

IEEE Style Journal Citation Example

IEEE Citation: Online Journal

The rules for IEEE online journal citation are slightly different but don’t make an issue. You just mention a quote number and all necessary data. Then include a link to the online source.

Let’s look how to cite an online journal in IEEE citation style:  

The example will look as follows:

IEEE Style Online Journal Citation Example

IEEE Format Citation: Final Thoughts

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is world's largest technical professional organization that created standards for IEEE citation. IEEE style is based on an easy citation way. You just state a quote and add its number in square brackets. Later, in reference list, you specify information using same number. However, there are many "buts" for reference list that you have to know. Luckily, we included them in our article. 

Ever considered help in writing research paper from someone experienced? If yes, click on the link, we've got something special for you in stock!

Illustration

Tired of all those details you need to keep in mind while citing references? Forget them and allow our professional writer to help you! Fill in the order form, confirm your order, and you'll get excellent academic work very soon. You don't have to worry about anything!  

Frequently Asked Questions About Citation IEEE

1. How do I cite conference papers in IEEE style?

There are two ways of citing conference papers in IEEE style. It plays a big difference whether you are using printed or online resources.

2. How do I cite datasets in IEEE style?

There are two ways of citing datasets in IEEE style. proper format depends on whether there is DOI or not.

3. How do I cite reports in IEEE style?

There are two ways of citing reports in IEEE style. It depends on whether you're using a printed or electronic notice. In both cases, you should mention a reference number that matches with in-text quotes. Then the situation differs.

Article posted on:May 9, 2022
Article updated on:May 12, 2023

Comments

Leave your comment here:
Illustration
Gina
6/25/2022 9:48 AM
Hey! Is IEEE citation the same as Harvard? Because honestly, I have problems with finding the differences between IEEE vs. Harvard citations.
Illustration
StudyCrumb
6/25/2022 11:47 AM
Hi Gina,

Even though these two formats seem similar, they are actually different. They both are the most commonly used for referencing computing subjects. But they are totally different when it comes to in-text citation. Harvard style records the author's surname and publication year within your written work. Then it provides a Bibliography at the end of your work. The IEEE style uses a numerical system within your written work. Later it corresponds to the list of references at the end of your work.
Illustration
Mark
7/7/2022 8:27 AM
Hello! When do I use IEEE citation?
Illustration
StudyCrumb
7/7/2022 9:00 AM
Hi Mark,

You can use this citation style for electronics, engineering, telecommunications, computer science, and information technology reports.
Illustration
Kim
8/2/2022 12:09 PM
Hi! I really need to make an IEEE citation of a YouTube video to use it in my research. How do you cite a YouTube video in IEEE?
Illustration
StudyCrumb
8/2/2022 12:18 PM
Hi Kim,

In-text you just mention a number in the squared brackets after a citation. For reference list, we recommend you follow this template:

[#] A. A. Person OR Screen name. "Video Title," YouTube, Date video uploaded, Year. [Video file]. Available: internet address of the specific video. [Accessed: Month Day, Year].