Skills on AI

Citation Style Ieee

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Use when asked to cite sources, format in-text citations, or build a reference list in IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) citation style, used in engineering, computer science, and electronics; numbered like [[citation-style-vancouver]], but with initials first and a distinct punctuation pattern.

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) citation style is the style commonly required in engineering, computer science, and electronics. Family: Numbered, in order of first citation.

Input required

  • The sources to cite, with author, title, date, publisher or journal, volume, issue, pages, and DOI or URL.
  • The edition, institution, or journal whose rules apply.

Questions to ask first

  1. Which edition or institutional variant must the work follow?
  2. Is the output in-text citations, reference-list entries, or both?
  3. What type is each source (book, article, web page, report, legal authority)?
  4. Is any information missing, such as the date, pages, or DOI?

In-text citations

  • Square-bracket numbers in order of first citation: [1].
  • Several sources: [1], [3] or a range [2]–[4].
  • The number can serve as a noun: as shown in [1].

Reference format

A numbered References list in citation order. Author initials come before the surname; article titles are in double quotation marks and in sentence case; the journal name is italic and abbreviated. Long author lists are shortened with et al.; check the current IEEE reference guide for the threshold.

Example pattern

The names, title, and numbers below are placeholders showing the pattern, not a real source.

[1] J. A. Smith and K. Lee, "Title of the article," *J. Abbrev.*, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 45–67, 2020, doi: xx.xxxx/xxxxx.

Ground rules

  • Use only the details the user supplied or that can be checked. Never invent authors, dates, DOIs, page numbers, or sources.
  • If a detail is missing, leave a clear placeholder and say so.
  • Apply one style consistently throughout the document.
  • When the user's institution or journal differs from this guide, follow theirs.

Self-check before answering

  • Does every in-text citation have a matching reference entry, and the reverse?
  • Are the ordering, capitalization, punctuation, and italics consistent with this style?
  • Were any details guessed? Remove or flag them.

Common pitfalls

  • Surname-first authors — IEEE puts initials first.
  • Reordering the list alphabetically — the list follows citation order.
  • Skipping vol., no., and pp. labels — IEEE spells them out.
  • Treating the bracket as part of a sentence — the bracket goes before the period.

Learn more

View citation-style-ieee/SKILL.md on GitHub