Skip to Main Content

Writing 100 (Fall 2024, Xu)

Style by Discipline

IEEE style is often used in technical papers and Computer Science.

Key Characteristics

In text citations should be denoted in the order they appear within square brackets, e.g. [1]. These brackets should appear in line with the text, after a space and before punctuation. Each use of the same source will have the same number, once assigned. 

It is not necessary to cite the work of the title, author's name or page number. 

Source material in the reference list will be in the order they appear in the body of the work. References should not be listed by author last name or title. It's important to remember this when you're writing; reorganizing parts of your paper might require that you re-order your in-text and reference list citations. 

In-Text Examples

  • ​"...end of the line for my research [13].”
  • “The theory was first put forward in 1987 [1].”
  • “Scholtz [2] has argued...”
  • “For example, see [7].”
  • “Several recent studies [3, 4, 15, 22] have suggested that...”
  • “. . .end of the line for my research [13].”
  • “The theory was first put forward in 1987 [1].”
  • “Scholtz [2] has argued...”
  • “For example, see [7].”
  • “Several recent studies [3, 4, 15, 22] have suggested that...”

Notes:

  • Authors and dates do not have to be written out after the first reference; use the bracketed number.
  • Also, it is not necessary to write “in reference [2].” Just write “in [2].” 

Reference List Examples