Key takeaways
- IEEE format uses numbered in-text citations in square brackets and a numbered reference list.
- Two-column layout is standard for IEEE conference and transactions templates.
- IEEE formatting errors are a leading cause of desk rejection in engineering journals.
IEEE format is the standard citation and document style for engineering, computer science, electronics, and telecommunications research. If you publish in IEEE Transactions, IEEE Access, or IEEE conference proceedings, your manuscript must follow IEEE editorial conventions exactly. This guide covers everything authors need to know.
Core IEEE formatting principles
- Two-column layout for most IEEE journal and conference templates.
- Times New Roman or IEEE-specified fonts at 10pt in columns.
- Numbered citations in square brackets: [1], [2], [3].
- References listed in order of first appearance, not alphabetically.
- Section headings: Roman numerals for main sections (I, II, III).
- Abstract limited to 150–250 words; index terms (keywords) follow.
IEEE paper structure
- 1Title and author affiliations with IEEE membership notation.
- 2Abstract and Index Terms.
- 3I. Introduction.
- 4II. Related Work or Background.
- 5III. Methodology or System Design.
- 6IV. Results and Analysis.
- 7V. Conclusion and Future Work.
- 8References.
- 9Appendix (if needed).
IEEE reference format essentials
Journal: Author, 'Title,' Abbrev. Journal, vol, no, pp, Month Year. Conference: Author, 'Title,' in Proc. Conference, City, Year, pp. Books: Author, Title. City: Publisher, Year. Use official IEEE abbreviations for journal names.