How to Cite a Journal Article in IEEE Format

This guide explains how to cite a journal article in IEEE format and who typically uses it. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) style is a numeric citation system widely used in engineering, computer science, and related technical fields.

If you need a quick citation, use Rephrasely's free citation generator at https://rephrasely.com/citation. For additional checks, try Rephrasely's plagiarism checker, AI writer, or AI detector.

Introduction — What IEEE Format Is and Who Uses It

IEEE citation style uses numbered references in square brackets that correspond to an ordered reference list. Numbers are assigned in the order sources first appear in the text.

Engineers, computer scientists, and technical authors commonly use IEEE for conference papers, journal articles, technical reports, and standards. Its concise numeric in-text citations make technical writing clean and easy to scan.

General Rules — Key Formatting Rules

Use bracketed numbers in-text, e.g., [1], placed before punctuation or mid-sentence as needed.
List references numerically and in the order cited, not alphabetically.
Author names in references are initials followed by surnames: A. B. Author.
Journal article format: include article title in quotes, journal title (italicized or plain), volume, issue, page range, month (if available), and year.
Use DOI when available. For online sources, include URL and access date if no DOI exists.

How to Cite by Source Type

Below are step-by-step formats and examples for common source types. Use the journal example first if your primary need is "how to cite a journal article IEEE."

1. Journal Article (standard)

Format:

[#] A. B. Lastname and C. D. Other, "Title of article," Title of Journal, vol. x, no. y, pp. start–end, Month Year. doi:xx.xxxx/xxxxx

Example with DOI:

[1] J. K. Smith and L. M. Garcia, "A robust algorithm for sensor fusion," IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., vol. 69, no. 4, pp. 1234–1242, Apr. 2020. doi:10.1109/TIM.2020.1234567

Example without DOI (online only):

[2] S. Lee, "Deep learning for embedded devices," J. Embedded Syst., vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 45–52, Feb. 2019. [Online]. Available: http://www.jes.org/articles/2019/02/45. Accessed: Jan. 10, 2026.

2. Book

Format:

[#] A. B. Lastname, Title of Book, xth ed. City of Publisher, (State or Country): Publisher, Year.

Example:

[3] D. E. Brown, Introduction to Robotics, 2nd ed. New York, NY: TechPress, 2018.

3. Conference Paper

Format:

[#] A. B. Lastname, "Title of paper," in Proc. Name of Conf., City, Country, Year, pp. start–end.

Example:

[4] M. T. Nguyen, "Low-power neural nets for IoT," in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Embedded Syst., San Diego, CA, USA, 2021, pp. 89–94.

4. Website / Webpage

Format:

[#] A. B. Lastname, "Title of page," Site Name. [Online]. Available: URL. Accessed: Month Day, Year.

Example:

[5] R. Thompson, "Trends in semiconductor design," Semiconductor Insights. [Online]. Available: https://seminsights.example/trends. Accessed: Jan. 6, 2026.

5. Master's Thesis or Ph.D. Dissertation

Format:

[#] A. B. Lastname, "Title of thesis," M.S. thesis, Dept., Univ., City, State/Country, Year.

Example:

[6] P. J. Rivera, "Optimization of power delivery in microgrids," M.S. thesis, Dept. of Electrical Eng., State Univ., Anytown, USA, 2017.

In-Text Citations — Rules and Examples

In IEEE, cite sources with a number in square brackets. Use the number assigned to the reference list entry that corresponds to the first time you cite the source.

Place the citation number before commas and periods, e.g., "The algorithm performs well [1]." If you mention the authors' names, still include the number: "Smith and Garcia [1] showed..."

Single citation: The model converges quickly [1].
Multiple citations: Several studies [2], [4], [6] confirm this.
Consecutive range: Recent works [3]–[5] discuss hardware acceleration.

Actionable tip: Assign citation numbers as you write. That keeps the reference list in the correct order and reduces errors during revisions.

Reference List — Formatting Rules and Example

Your reference list should appear at the end of the document and be numbered in the order sources first appear. Use a consistent style for punctuation, capitalization, and abbreviations.

Rules to follow:

Use initials for given names (e.g., J. K. Smith).
Put article titles in quotation marks and journal titles in italics or plain text (depending on publisher house style).
Abbreviate journal names using standard IEEE abbreviations when required (e.g., IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell.).
Include volume, issue (no.), page range, month (if available), year, and DOI or URL.

Reference list example (as it would appear at the end):

[1] J. K. Smith and L. M. Garcia, "A robust algorithm for sensor fusion," IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., vol. 69, no. 4, pp. 1234–1242, Apr. 2020. doi:10.1109/TIM.2020.1234567
[2] S. Lee, "Deep learning for embedded devices," J. Embedded Syst., vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 45–52, Feb. 2019. [Online]. Available: http://www.jes.org/articles/2019/02/45. Accessed: Jan. 10, 2026
[3] D. E. Brown, Introduction to Robotics, 2nd ed. New York, NY: TechPress, 2018
[4] M. T. Nguyen, "Low-power neural nets for IoT," in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. Embedded Syst., San Diego, CA, USA, 2021, pp. 89–94

Actionable tip: Keep a running reference list during writing and use reference management software or Rephrasely's citation generator to ensure consistency.

Common Mistakes — Errors to Avoid

Wrong author name order: Use initials then surname (e.g., A. B. Lastname), not "Firstname Lastname."
Incorrect numbering: References must be numbered in the order you cite them, not alphabetically. Renumber when you add or remove citations.
Omitting volume/issue/page information: These elements are essential for journal articles. If missing, include DOI or URL and access date.
Mixing citation styles: Don’t use author–date (APA) in-text citations together with IEEE numeric references. Stick to bracketed numbers only.

Actionable checklist before submission:

Verify DOI links resolve correctly.
Confirm journal abbreviations follow IEEE conventions.
Ensure reference numbers match in-text citation numbers after edits.
Use a citation generator (e.g., Rephrasely's) to format entries and then manually review for special cases.

Practical Workflow — Quick Steps to Create an IEEE Journal Citation

Collect full bibliographic details: authors, article title, journal title, volume, issue, pages, month, year, and DOI/URL.
Use Rephrasely's citation generator (link) or your reference manager to format the entry.
Insert the bracketed number at the first point of citation in your text.
Add the formatted reference to the numbered list in the order cited.
Run a final check for punctuation, capitalization, DOI accuracy, and numbering consistency.

Tip: If you reuse a source, reuse its original number rather than creating a new entry for the same source.

Tools and Final Checks

Rephrasely offers tools that help at each stage: the citation generator for formatting, the plagiarism checker to ensure originality, the AI writer to draft sections, and the AI detector to verify machine-generated text if needed.

Before final submission, export your reference list to the required journal template and confirm spacing and font rules for references match the publisher's guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I format multiple authors in an IEEE journal citation?

List up to six authors using initials then surnames separated by commas (e.g., A. B. One, C. D. Two, E. F. Three). For more than six authors, some publishers allow listing the first three followed by "et al." Check the specific journal guidelines.

Do I need to include a DOI in an IEEE citation?

Yes, include the DOI whenever available. Place it at the end of the reference entry as doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx. If no DOI exists, include a stable URL and access date instead.

Can I use Rephrasely to generate IEEE citations automatically?

Yes — use Rephrasely's free citation generator at https://rephrasely.com/citation. Always review generated entries for correct abbreviations and special cases before submission.

How to Cite a Journal Article in IEEE Format