Create numbered IEEE in-text citations and reference entries for engineering and computer-science sources. Review the generated details against the original source and any publisher instructions.
Citation Format
Source Type
Paste a public URL to extract available citation details, then review every field before generating the citation.
Citation Details
Three steps
How to use the IEEE citation generator
- Select the source type. Enter the author names, title, publication details, pages, DOI, or URL shown on the source.
- Generate and inspect the entry. Confirm initials, title, journal abbreviation, volume, issue, pages, and date.
- Number it in your document. Place references in order of first citation and reuse the same number whenever you cite that source again.
IEEE format
IEEE reference format and example
IEEE uses bracketed numbers in the text and a numbered reference list arranged by first appearance, not alphabetically. Author initials precede surnames, and journal-article titles appear in quotation marks.
Pattern: [n] Initial(s). Surname, “Article title,” Abbreviated Journal Title, vol. x, no. x, pp. first–last, month year.
Reference: [1] L. Morgan and R. Patel, “Energy-aware routing for sensor networks,” Example J. Eng., vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 45–58, Apr. 2024.
In text: The method is described in [1].
Details to check
Common IEEE citation cases
- Repeated source: reuse its original number; do not create a new reference-list entry.
- Several sources: separate individual numbers, as in [2], [5], and use an en dash for a continuous range, as in [3]–[6].
- Specific location: add the locator inside the brackets when needed, such as [4, pp. 45–48] or [4, Sec. III].
- Long author lists: IEEE author-name rules depend on the number of authors and publication requirements; enter every named author before checking the shortened form.
- Online material: verify the URL, access date, and DOI against the IEEE requirements for that source type.
FAQ
IEEE citation questions
How does IEEE number citations?
Number each source in the order it first appears in the text. The matching reference uses that number in the reference list.
Do I reuse an IEEE citation number?
Yes. Every later citation of the same source keeps its original number, even when other sources have been cited between mentions.
Where does an IEEE citation go in a sentence?
Place the bracketed number on the text line and inside the sentence punctuation, for example: “The result is reported in [3].”
Should I check author handling in an IEEE reference?
Yes. Enter all authors shown by the source, then check the displayed author list against the IEEE publication or publisher instructions you must follow.
Related help
Guides for technical sources
See how to cite a journal article or a conference paper, then review the guides to in-text citations and multiple authors. For a different format, open the main citation generator.