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Cite indigenous sources in IEEE

Learn how to cite Indigenous sources in IEEE style. Follow respectful practices for oral traditions and cultural knowledge with correct attribution and formatting.

Indigenous cultural heritage belongs to Indigenous Peoples and does not adhere to Western conventions of knowledge ownership. Where possible, collaboration with Indigenous people is recommended to ensure information can be shared and accurately reflects their perspectives.

Before deciding how to cite Indigenous knowledges, please consult the Indigenous Knowledge Attribution Toolkit Decision Tree first to evaluate the content and authorship of the source you wish to use and consider the following:

  • Was the content collected with informed consent? Does it use outdated terminology. Is the content contemporary?
  • Is the author Indigenous themselves? Are there Indigenous authors in the field you could cite instead?
  • If you find sources are problematic but you would still like to use them, make it clear you have considered its limitations and justify why you still intend to use them.

Indigenous Knowledges belong not only to individual authors, but to wider Nations, Countries or Language groups. When citing Indigenous Knowledges, where it is known, include the author’s Nation/Country/Language Group in in the in-text citation and reference list entry.

Terms related to Indigenous Peoples need to be capitalised, such as names of nations or groups (Wurundjeri, Kalkadoon) and words related to Indigenous culture (Oral Traditions, Traditional Custodian), this demonstrates respect for Indigenous Peoples and perspectives.

In-text citations

Citation format Example
Paraphrase

...words and phrases related to woman spirit [1].

As argued by Couzens [1]
Direct quote  "Daughters hold to carry on seven generations...and more" [1, p. 40]

Reference list

The following examples are for a journal article entry. For more examples, consult the Indigenous Reference Guidance for Indigenous Knowledges. Only include the author(s) Nation, Country or Language group if that information is stated in the source being cited. 

  Indigenous author with Nation/Country/Language group

Reference format Example
Template [#] J. K. Author (Nation/Country/Language Group), “Name of paper,” Abbrev. Title of Periodical, vol. x, no. x, pp. xxx-xxx, Abbrev. Month, year, doi: xxx.
Reference list entry

[1] V. Couzens (Keerray Wooroong; Gunditjmara), “Woman spirit – weereeyaar; Weerreeyaar – woman spirit. The Lifted Brow, 40, p. 60, Dec., 2018, doi: 10.3316/informit.036973519792855.  

If the Traditional Knowledge or Oral Traditions have not been recorded and are therefore not recoverable by readers, cite them as personal communications with as much detail as possible. A reference entry is not needed.

If you spoke with an Indigenous person to find information but they were not a research participant, use a variation of the personal communication citation. Provide their:

  • Full name
  • Indigenous nation or group they belong to
  • Any other relevant details about them
  • Follow with the words ‘personal communication’ and the exact date of correspondence. If communication was over a time period, give a date range.

In-text citations

Page numbers are not needed in text for personal communications. 

Citation format Example
Paraphrase Professor Emma Lee [1] is an expert on Indigenous methodologies.
Direct quote “Her favourite research areas are democracy, tourism, fisheries and the Blue Economy.” [1]

Reference list

Reference format Example
Template [#] J. K. Author (Nation/Country/Language group), private communication, Abbrev. Month, year.
Full reference

[1] E. Lee (Trawlwulwuy; Tebrakunna), private communication, Dec. 2024.

Additional Information

IEEE Reference Style Manual does not cover Indigenous Knowledges. This content has been adapted from the Indigenous Reference Guidance for Indigenous Knowledges published by CAVAL and the Indigenous Archives Collective which outlines best practice when evaluating and citing Indigenous knowledge.