How to Cite a Book in IEEE Format
This guide explains how to cite a book in IEEE style and shows examples for other common source types. IEEE is a numeric citation style used widely in engineering, computer science, and technical disciplines. Use this step-by-step guide to format in-text citations and reference entries correctly, and try Rephrasely’s free citation generator to speed up your work: Rephrasely Citation Generator.
What IEEE format is and who uses it
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) citation style uses numbered brackets for citations and a reference list ordered by citation appearance. Researchers, engineers, and students in technical fields use IEEE because it keeps documents compact and focused on technical content.
General Rules
Follow these key rules to keep IEEE references consistent and readable.
- Use bracketed numbers in-text: cite sources as [1], [2], etc., in the order they first appear.
- Reference list is numbered and ordered by appearance, not alphabetically.
- Authors are listed as initials followed by last name (e.g., A. B. Smith).
- Use sentence-style capitalization for titles (capitalize first word and proper nouns) except journal and conference names, which use title capitalization or standard abbreviations.
- Include edition, volume, and page numbers when applicable.
- For online sources, include a URL and an access date in the format: [Accessed: Month Day, Year].
How to Cite by Source Type
Below are step-by-step formats and examples for books and several other common source types.
Book (single author or multiple authors)
Format: Use initials for first names, give edition if not first, and include publisher and year.
[#] A. A. Author, Title of Book, xth ed. City of Publisher, ST/Country: Publisher, Year.
Example:
[1] J. K. Smith, Introduction to Robotics, 2nd ed. New York, NY: TechPress, 2018.
Edited book or chapter in edited book
Format for chapter:
[#] A. A. Author, "Title of chapter," in Title of Book, X. Y. Editor and Z. Q. Editor, Eds. City: Publisher, Year, pp. xx–yy.
Example:
[2] L. M. Chen, "Sensor fusion techniques," in Advances in Autonomous Systems, R. T. Gomez and P. H. Lee, Eds. Boston, MA: Springer, 2020, pp. 55–78.
Journal article
Format:
[#] A. A. Author, "Title of article," Journal Title, vol. x, no. x, pp. xx–yy, Month Year.
Example:
[3] H. R. Patel and S. K. Bose, "Low-power wireless design," IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst., vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 1012–1020, Apr. 2019.
Conference paper
Format:
[#] A. A. Author, "Paper title," in Proc. Conf. Name, City, Year, pp. xx–yy.
Example:
[4] E. L. Brown, "Deep learning for sensor networks," in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Sensor Systems, San Francisco, CA, 2021, pp. 210–214.
Thesis or dissertation
Format:
[#] A. A. Author, "Title of thesis," Degree thesis, Dept., Univ., City, Year.
Example:
[5] M. N. Silva, "Optimization of battery management," M.S. thesis, Dept. of Electrical Eng., Univ. of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal, 2017.
Website or online document
Format: When no author is available, start with the document title. Always include [Online], URL, and access date.
[#] Author, "Document title," Website name. [Online]. Available: http://www.example.com. [Accessed: Month Day, Year].
Example:
[6] N. J. Allen, "Guide to embedded systems," EmbeddedWorld. [Online]. Available: https://www.embeddedworld.org/guide. [Accessed: Jan. 10, 2024].
In-Text Citations
IEEE uses bracketed numbers for in-text citations that correspond to the reference list entries. Use the number assigned when the source is first cited.
- Place citations as [1], [2], etc., and reuse the same number for repeat citations.
- Place the citation number inside the sentence punctuation when it refers to the whole sentence: "This was demonstrated in [3]."
- You may place the citation after a clause or phrase: "Smith showed that X [1]."
- When citing multiple sources together, list numbers in ascending order and separate with commas or a dash for ranges: [1], [3], [5] or [1]–[4].
Examples:
The algorithm reduces error rates by 20% [3].
As shown in [4], sensor fusion improves reliability.
Reference List: Formatting Rules and Example
The reference list appears at the end of your document and is numbered in the order sources are cited in-text.
- Start each entry with the citation number in square brackets, followed by a space.
- Use a hanging indentation (first line flush left, following lines indented) when typesetting.
- Do not include URLs for books unless the book is an online-only publication; include publisher details instead.
- Abbreviate journal and conference names using standard IEEE abbreviations when possible.
Short sample reference list (entries correspond to examples above):
[1] J. K. Smith, Introduction to Robotics, 2nd ed. New York, NY: TechPress, 2018.[2] L. M. Chen, "Sensor fusion techniques," in Advances in Autonomous Systems, R. T. Gomez and P. H. Lee, Eds. Boston, MA: Springer, 2020, pp. 55–78.[3] H. R. Patel and S. K. Bose, "Low-power wireless design," IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst., vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 1012–1020, Apr. 2019.[4] E. L. Brown, "Deep learning for sensor networks," in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Sensor Systems, San Francisco, CA, 2021, pp. 210–214.[5] M. N. Silva, "Optimization of battery management," M.S. thesis, Dept. of Electrical Eng., Univ. of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal, 2017.[6] N. J. Allen, "Guide to embedded systems," EmbeddedWorld. [Online]. Available: https://www.embeddedworld.org/guide. [Accessed: Jan. 10, 2024].
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Mixing citation order
Do not alphabetize the reference list. In IEEE, the order must reflect the order of first citation in the text. Reordering will break the numeric mapping between in-text citations and the reference list.
2. Incorrect author name format
Always use initials before surnames and include all authors (or use "et al." only where the publication style permits). For corporate authors, use the organization name as the author.
3. Missing edition, volume, or page numbers
Many readers rely on edition and page numbers to locate cited material. Include edition for books (when not first), volume/issue for journals, and page ranges for chapters and articles.
4. Improper online citations
For web content, include the access date and the full URL. Do not omit an access date for resources that may change. Label online-only materials with [Online] for clarity.
Practical Tips and Tools
- Use Rephrasely’s free citation generator to build IEEE references quickly: https://rephrasely.com/citation.
- After generating citations, run your manuscript through the Rephrasely plagiarism checker to confirm originality.
- Draft and edit content with the Rephrasely AI Writer (Composer), then verify AI-generated text with the Rephrasely AI Detector.
- When working with sources in other languages, use the Rephrasely translator or standard transliteration rules and include translated titles in brackets.
Actionable checklist before submission:
- Verify each citation number matches the correct reference entry.
- Ensure author formats and publisher details are complete for every book entry.
- Confirm journal abbreviations are standardized and page ranges are accurate.
- Run a final pass with a citation tool (e.g., Rephrasely Citation Generator) and a plagiarism checker.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite multiple authors in IEEE?
List up to six authors using initials and last names separated by commas (e.g., A. B. Author, C. D. Author, and E. F. Author). For more than six authors, list the first author followed by "et al." only if the publisher's guidelines allow it; otherwise list all authors.
How should I cite an e-book in IEEE?
Format e-books like printed books but add the access information or the platform if relevant. Example: [7] R. J. Thomas, Modern Control Theory, 3rd ed. London, U.K.: DigiPress, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://books.example.com. [Accessed: Feb. 2, 2024].
Can I use citation management tools with IEEE?
Yes. Export IEEE-formatted references from citation managers, but always verify punctuation, capitalization, and ordering. Automated tools can make mistakes; a quick manual review ensures compliance with IEEE rules.