How to Cite an ISO Standard in IEEE (standard)
Learn how to cite ISO, IEC, and other published technical standards in IEEE format (standard). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.
IEEE Reference List Format
Here is the standard IEEE format for citing an ISO standard in your reference list:
[1] Title of Standard, Standard number, Corporate author, City, Country, Month Year. [Online]. Available: URL
IEEE Example for an ISO Standard
A complete IEEE reference for an ISO standard, written by hand and checked against the official IEEE guidance for this source:
[1] Information and Documentation — Guidelines for Bibliographic References and Citations to Information Resources, ISO 690:2021, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, Jun. 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.iso.org/standard/72642.html
Matching in-text citation: [1]
IEEE In-Text Citation
Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:
Parenthetical
[1]
Narrative
ISO 690:2021 [1] recommends...
Key IEEE Formatting Rules
- The IEEE Reference Guide has its own standards format: the italic title, the standard number, the corporate author, the location and the date.
- The short form, Title of Standard, Standard number, date, is also allowed when the body is clear from the number.
- For a standard read online, add [Online]. Available: and the URL, with no period after the URL.
- Cite a clause in the bracket when you need one, for example [1, Sect. 3].
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your ISO standard.
- Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the IEEE (standard) template shown above.
- Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
- Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
- Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match IEEE requirements.
Evidence and review notes
Worked examples on this page are written by hand from the style's own published guidance and checked against it, because the general CSL styles do not encode this source's rules. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.
Metadata to collect
- the standards body as author
- the full designation with its year, such as ISO 690:2021
- the exact title as printed, including its dash
- the edition number and publication date
- the URL or database you used
- the clause or section you cite
Common metadata traps
- A designation without its year, such as ISO 690, points to whichever edition is current, so always give the year of the edition you read.
- The page at iso.org is a catalogue record and preview, not the full text; if you read the standard through a library database such as a national standards body’s platform, cite that copy.
- National adoptions such as BS ISO 690:2021 are published by the national body, so cite the version actually in front of you rather than the ISO original.
Editorial sources
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite an ISO standard in IEEE?
- To cite an ISO standard in IEEE (standard), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
- What is the IEEE format for an ISO standard citation?
- The IEEE format for an ISO standard is: [1] Title of Standard, Standard number, Corporate author, City, Country, Month Year. [Online]. Available: URL
- What does the in-text citation look like for an ISO standard in IEEE?
- In IEEE, the in-text citation for the example above is [1]
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