The essentials of IEEE citation style for engineering and technical papers — numbered citations, reference-list format, and how IEEE differs from APA and MLA. Every rule below links to its official IEEE source.
IEEE style is the citation and manuscript style defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. It is used most often in engineering, computer science, and other technical fields. Its hallmark is a numbered citation system: sources are cited by number in the order they appear, rather than by author and date.
Official source: IEEE Author Center — official website (ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org)
IEEE uses numbered citations in square brackets. Cite a source as [1] the first time you reference it, [2] the next, and so on, in the order they appear in your paper. You may cite a source again with its original number. Place the bracketed number inline, before any punctuation where it naturally fits. This is the key difference from APA (author-date) and MLA (author-page).
Official source: IEEE Author Center — IEEE Editorial Style Manual / IEEE Reference Guide (IEEE official publications)
The reference list is numbered to match the in-text citations — [1], [2], [3] — in the order they were cited, not alphabetically. Use a hanging indent, single-space within each entry, and double-space between entries. Author names are written as initials followed by the last name (e.g., J. K. Author). Examples:
| Type | Format |
|---|---|
| Book | [1] A. A. Author, Title of Book. City, Country: Publisher, year. |
| Journal article | [2] J. K. Author, "Title of paper," Abbrev. Title of Journal, vol. x, no. y, pp. ###-###, Month year. |
| Web source | [3] "Title," Publisher. [Online]. Available: URL. [Accessed: date]. |
Official source: IEEE Author Center — IEEE Reference Guide (IEEE official publication)
The biggest practical difference is the citation mechanism. IEEE numbers sources in order of appearance; APA and MLA name the author in the text. The table shows the key contrasts.
| Element | IEEE | APA / MLA |
|---|---|---|
| In-text citation | Numbered [1], [2] in order of appearance | Author-date (APA) / author-page (MLA) |
| Reference order | Numbered by citation order | Alphabetical by author |
| Reference list name | References | References (APA) / Works Cited (MLA) |
| Common fields | Engineering, technical | Social sciences (APA) / humanities (MLA) |
These common templates follow IEEE style. See the official IEEE Reference Guide for the full set of source types.
| Type | Format |
|---|---|
| Book | [1] A. Author, Title of Book. City, Country: Publisher, year. |
| Journal article | [2] J. K. Author, "Title of paper," Abbrev. Title of Journal, vol. x, no. y, pp. ###-###, Month year. |
| Web source | [3] "Title," Publisher. [Online]. Available: URL. [Accessed: date]. |
Official source: IEEE Author Center — IEEE Reference Guide (IEEE official publication)
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Compare all three styles in our APA vs MLA vs IEEE guide, or see the APA guide and MLA guide. Try the engine on the Download page.
IEEE uses a numbered citation system. Cite sources in the text as numbers in square brackets, e.g., [1], in the order they appear. The reference list is numbered to match.
References are listed in the order they are cited, numbered [1], [2], with a hanging indent. Single-space within each entry and double-space between entries.
For academic formatting, IEEE does not prescribe one universal title-page rule; follow your institution's template. IEEE's own author guidelines define manuscript structure for journal and conference submission.
Typically: J. K. Author, "Title of paper," Abbrev. Title of Journal, vol. x, no. y, pp. ###-###, Month Year.
This guide summarizes IEEE citation style. The authoritative rules are defined in the IEEE Editorial Style Manual and the IEEE Reference Guide, both official IEEE publications. They are published and maintained by the IEEE via its official Author Center (link verified live):
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