When it comes to academic and technical writing, it is as important as the content you produce. For students and researchers in electrical engineering, computer science, and information technology, the IEEE style is one of the most widely adopted reference systems.
This broad guide discovers everything you need to know about creating an IEEE reference page - IEEE reference format, IEEE citation format, IEEE referencing style, IEEE format example, IEEE reference page example, IEEE reference list format, IEEE citation style guide.
The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) reference page is a systematic list of all sources you cited in your academic paper or technical report. Unlike other styles, such as APA or MLA, the IEEE system uses a few references. These numbers correspond to in-text quotes that are seen sequentially throughout your work.
IEEE Referencing Style
The IEEE referencing style is a numbered style. It uses in-text citations with bracketed numbers, which correspond to a full reference list at the end of the paper. Citations and references are arranged numerically, in the order they appear in the text.
Key aspects of IEEE referencing Style:
The exact IEEE reference is not just about avoiding literary theft. This brings many educational and professional benefits:
Proper citation is an essential part of maintaining moral standards in research. By referring correctly, you avoid accidental literary theft and give credit to the original writers.
The numerical citation format of IEEE allows readers to focus on your thoughts without being distracted by the long quotation details in the text.
The IEEE style is widely recognized in scientific and engineering communities. After following its guidelines, the professionalism of your paper or thesis improves.
Your IEEE reference page should follow a similar format that makes it easier to read and navigate. This broad guide discovers everything you need to know about creating an IEEE reference page - IEEE reference format, IEEE citation format, IEEE referencing style, IEEE format example, IEEE reference page example, IEEE reference list format, IEEE citation style guide. Below are the main formatting guidelines that you have to follow.
The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) - IEEE reference format is a numbered, numbered, citation style commonly used in engineering, computer science, and related fields. Numbered citations appear in square brackets within the text and link to the complete reference at the end of the document. The references are listed in the same sequence as their citations appear, following a numerical order instead of alphabetical order.
Key Elements of the IEEE Reference Format:
In IEEE citation format, Citations within the text must follow an order, with numbers assigned in sequence inside square brackets. These numbers match the detailed references under the "References" section, which are also numbered in the same way. This broad guide discovers everything you need to know about creating an IEEE reference page - IEEE reference format, IEEE citation format, IEEE referencing style, IEEE format example, IEEE reference page example, IEEE reference list format, IEEE citation style guide. Each citation number should go in square brackets right before the period at the end of a sentence.
Here's a more detailed mentioned below:
In-text citations:
Unlike the format used in APA or MLA, IEEE uses only the numeric citation format. In-text citations appear as bracketed numbers, e.g., [1], [2], [3], and so on. Each number corresponds to a source listed on the reference page.
This system keeps your main text clean and distraction-free while maintaining citation accuracy.
Each source type—book, journal, website, etc.—has a unique citation format in IEEE style. Below are the most common types, along with formatting examples.
Format:
[#] Initial (S). Last Name, *Book Title *, XTH Ed. City, Country: Publisher, Year.
Example:
[1] b. Claus and P. Horn, *Robot Vision *, 1 Ed. Cambridge, which was first published in MA: MIT Press, 1986.
Format:
[#] Initial (S). Last name, "Title of the article," *Journal name *, volume. X, no. X, PP. XXX -XXX, year year.
Example:
[2] I came. Compute. Mathematics.*, Volume. 34, no. 3, PP. 262–284, May 2016..
Format:
[#] Initial (S). Last name, "paper title," in *conference name *, place, year, PP. XXX -XXX.
Example:
[3] Author M. Ahmed et al., who writes "MEMS sensors on flexible substrates," in *IEEE Sensors 2012*, Taipei, Taiwan, which was published in 2012, pp. 1–4.
Format:
[#] Initial (S). Last name, "Webpage title," website name. [Online]. Available: URL (month of month, year).
Example:
[4] M. McGrath, "Sand battery can solve a major problem of green energy," *BBC News *. [Online]. Available: https://www.bbc.com/news/science- environment-6196520 (Jul. 5, 2022).
Format:
[#] Initial (S). Last name, "Report title," company, city, state, report number, year.
Example:
[5] E. E. Reber, "Absorption in the Earth's atmosphere," Aerospace Corp, Los Angeles, CA, Tech. Rape. TR -0200-3, November 1988..
Format:
[#] Initial (S). Last name, "title," M.S. Thesis or Ph.D. Dissertation, department, university, city, state, year.
Example:
[4] A. B. Smith, "Analysis of algorithm for data processing," Ph.D. Department of dissertation, CS, Unive. For example, NY, 2020..
Format:
[#] Initial (S). Last name, "patent title," country patent xxx xxx, month, year.
Example::
[7] F. Boegelund, "Method for translating slide presentations," U.S. Patent 7,398,214 B2, Jul. 2, 2008.
Format:
[#] Standard Title, Standard Number, Organization, City, Year.
Example:
[8] IEEE Standard for Information Technology, IEEE Std 1234-2020, IEEE, New York, NY, 2020.
Format:
[#] Initial(s). Last name, "Video Title," Website, Date. [Online Video]. Available: URL (accessed Month Day, Year).
Example:
[9] J. Doe, "Introduction to Machine Learning," YouTube, Jan. 15, 2021. [Online Video]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example (accessed Mar. 10, 2021).
Here’s a full sample IEEE reference list based on the formats above:
[1] B. Klaus and P. Horn wrote Robot Vision, first edition published by MIT Press in Cambridge, MA, in 1986..
[2] I. Boglaev described "A numerical method to solve nonlinear integro-differential equations" in Journal of Computational Mathematics, volume 34, issue 3, pages 262–284, May 2016..
[3] M. Ahmed and collaborators presented "MEMS sensors on flexible substrates" at IEEE Sensors 2012 in Taipei, Taiwan, covering pages 1–4.
[4] M. McGrath, "Sand battery could solve green energy's big problem," BBC News. [Online]. The List Which is Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61996520 (accessed on Jul. 5, 2022).
[5] Author E. E. Reber, who writes "Absorption in the earth's Atmosphere," Aerospace Corp., Los Angeles, CA, Technical Report TR-0200-3, which is published in November 1988..
[6] A. B. Smith, "Analysis of algorithms for data processing," Ph.D. thesis, CS Department, University of Example, NY 2020..
[7]F. Boegelund created "Method for translating slide presentations," which is detailed in U.S. Patent 7,398,214 B2 and was issued on July 2, 2008
[8]IEEE released the IEEE Standard for Information Technology, numbered IEEE Std 1234-2020, in New York, NY, in 2020.
[9] J. Doe, "Introduction to Machine Learning," YouTube, Jan. 15, 2021. [Online Video]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example (accessed Mar. 10, 2021).
Creating an IEEE reference page may seem complex at the first time, but with practice, it becomes second nature. Following the right IEEE format not only strengthens the reliability of your paper but also ensures that readers can easily detect your sources. Whether you are writing a thesis, journal article, or technical report, this guide is your Go-TWO resource for IEEE reference.
This guide explained topics like the IEEE reference page - IEEE reference format, IEEE citation format, IEEE referencing style, IEEE format example, IEEE reference page example, IEEE reference list format, and IEEE citation style guide.
In IEEE, cite a website by including the author (if available), title of the webpage in quotation marks, site name (italicized), publication or update date, and the URL, followed by the access date. Example: 1 1 "AI and the Future," Tech Today, Mar. 2024. [Online]. Available: www.techtoday.com. [Accessed: Jul. 28, 2025].
No, IEEE references are not formatted with hanging indents. Instead, each reference begins with a number in square brackets (e.g., 1 1) and is left-aligned. The lines after the first line also remain left-aligned, with no indentation.
In IEEE style, the reference list is arranged numerically, in the order that sources appear in the text. Unlike APA or MLA, it is not alphabetized. Each reference is preceded by a number in square brackets.
In-text citations in IEEE use numbered brackets like 1 1, 2 2, which correspond to numbered entries on the reference page. These numbers reflect the order of appearance in the paper, ensuring direct and consistent connection between text and sources.
Footnotes are not standard in IEEE referencing. The preferred method is in-text citation using numbered brackets linked to the reference list. However, footnotes may be used for brief explanatory notes, not for citing sources.