The essentials
How IEEE works
Electrical engineering, computing, electronics, telecommunications and technical publishing.
Use a bracketed number: Recent work shows this pattern [1]. Refer to a range as [2]–[4].
References
Numerical order of first appearance—not alphabetical order.
Use the source number and, when needed, a page locator such as [3, p. 42].
Copy the pattern, verify the facts
IEEE reference examples
[1] S. I. Patel and A. Khan, “Digital research habits among university students,” Journal of Learning Practice, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 44–59, 2025.
[2] L. Rahman, Research Skills for Modern Learners. London, U.K.: Horizon Academic, 2024.
[3] National Research Council, “Evaluating online evidence,” Mar. 12, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://example.org/evidence. [Accessed: Aug. 20, 2026].
These examples use invented publication details to demonstrate structure. Replace every element with information from your actual source.
Review before submission
Common mistakes
- Alphabetising the reference list.
- Renumbering a repeated source instead of reusing its original number.
- Putting citation numbers in parentheses.
- Omitting volume, issue or page details from journal articles.
- Using inconsistent abbreviated journal titles.
Final review
IEEE checklist
- Numbers follow first appearance.
- Repeated sources reuse the same number.
- Author initials precede surnames.
- Online sources include access information when required.
- Every bracketed number maps to one reference.
Course, institution and publisher rules can override general examples.