How to Cite in IEEE Style in 2025
IEEE Citation Guide:
When future engineers, programmers, and network engineers have to write a research or do an essay reflection paper, IEEE style format is recommended. Standing for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, this style is unique due to specific rules. As a strict organization that stands behind diverse standards in engineering and industrial processes, IEEE format is used for engineering journals, research papers or lectures on subject.
Since most college students in the United States find it difficult to cope with IEEE style, we offer IEEE citation generator that can make even the most complex formats easier, free, and quick. Writing a research paper in IEEE format requires a strict citation style and technical precision, which can be overwhelming for students in engineering and computer science. If you need assistance with paper writing, formatting references correctly, or ensuring your research meets academic standards, Edubirdie can help. Their experts are familiar with IEEE guidelines and can provide a well-structured research paper that adheres to technical writing norms. In addition, we make a handy IEEE guide that will explain in-text citations and references with real-life examples.
IEEE In-Text Citation Rules with Examples
First of all, when it comes down to in-text IEEE citation in engineering format, it should be noted that all that students have to do is use square brackets with appropriate numbering. It should refer to full source IEEE citation that is mentioned full in the References list. In other words, one should not ever mention the author’s credentials or publication date when supporting arguments. For example, a part of the text where a quote is given should always end with [1] or [2] for the second source, corresponding to a specific entry in your Bibliography.
There are three main rules that have to be remembered for in-text citations in IEEE:
- Put brackets citing within paper text before any punctuation comes up. Use space before the first bracket.
- Each source should maintain the same numbering pattern as it has been previously specified.
- Once citing several sources at once, it is recommended to list each number in separate brackets.
- A comma or a dash should be placed for separation. As an example: [2], [11], [34]. Alternatively, students can use [5] – [12].
See how in-text citations are mixed with text:
“…as a result, software complications became more user-friendly [14].”
“It could provide several options for mechanical engineering that were less challenging financially, compared to surveys done in 2005 [4].”
“Williams [34] has argued that Python programing can be…”
“Several research platforms [3], [18], [22] have shown that…”
“As most professors recommended, refer to [11].”
As one can see from the examples above, the IEEE citation style takes away the challenge of in-text citation when there are several authors or no author is given. All that has to be done is accurate numbering so that the References page coordinates well with each entry.
