IEEE In-Text Citations
Master IEEE (standard) in-text citations with this complete guide. Learn the correct format for every scenario, including single and multiple authors, direct quotes, and sources with missing information.
In-Text Citation Rules
Below are the IEEE in-text citation rules for every common scenario you will encounter when writing your paper.
Single Author
[1] — numbered in square brackets in order of appearance
Two Authors
[1] — same number for the same reference
Three or More Authors
[1] — numbered system does not change with author count
Direct Quote
[1, p. 15] — include the page number after the reference number
No Author
[1] — numbered in order of first mention regardless
No Date
[1] — include available date information in the reference list
Quick Examples
Here are real-world IEEE in-text citation examples for different source types:
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Cite in IEEE Now →Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I format an IEEE in-text citation?
- For a single author in IEEE, use the format [1] — numbered in square brackets in order of appearance. For two authors, use [1] — same number for the same reference. For three or more authors, use [1] — numbered system does not change with author count.
- How do I cite a direct quote in IEEE?
- For direct quotes in IEEE (standard), use the format: [1, p. 15] — include the page number after the reference number.
- What if there is no author or no date in IEEE?
- When there is no author in IEEE, use: [1] — numbered in order of first mention regardless. When there is no date, use: [1] — include available date information in the reference list.