Common questions about IEEE referencing
Learn how to handle tricky IEEE citations and references. Get clear tips for academic writing and referencing at Federation University.
Sometimes, the source you are referencing may not fit neatly into the in-text citation or reference list templates. When this happens, use these tips to adjust your in-text citation and reference list entries while staying consistent with IEEE guidelines.
- You can use multiple sources to support a point in your text. Insert a new citation number for each new reference.
- Don't use an en dash (–) for ranges in references. List each reference separately. For example, write “[1], [2], [3], [4]” instead of “[1] – [4]”.
| Citation format | Example |
| Template |
[#], [#] and [#] |
| In-text citation |
Several studies [1], [5] and [9] mention … Zhao et al [3] and [10], [11] and [12] also support … … as previously noted [2], [8], [9], [10], [13] there have been many … |
IEEE does not allow citations of secondary sources (a citation within a source) to be used. You must consult the original source at all times.
Abbreviations for commonly used words, publishers, and journals with non-English titles can be found in the IEEE Referencing Guide 2025.
Months
If two months are required in a reference separate with a forward slash, for example, Jan./Feb.
| Month | Abbreviation |
| January | Jan. |
| February | Feb. |
| March | Mar. |
| April | Apr. |
| May | May |
| June | June |
| July | July |
| August | Aug. |
| September | Sept. |
| October | Oct. |
| November | Nov. |
| December | Dec. |
Occasionally you’ll need to create citations and references when key information is missing. In such cases, there are several solutions you can use to adapt the reference.
The following examples illustrate how to reference a website post or page when some reference information is unavailable. For guidance on referencing other materials such as books or journal articles, please refer to the specific section in FedCite dedicated to those materials.
| Missing element | In-text citation | Reference list |
| Nothing missing |
[#] [1] |
[#] A. Author, Title, Source, Year. [1] R. Patterson, “Textbook reading for ultra-efficient learning.” College Info Geek. https://collegeinfogeek.com/how-to-read-a-textbook/ (accessed Oct 13, 2021) |
| No author |
No effect on in-text citation. |
Substitute title for Author or the organisation; then provide Source and year [#] Title of document, Source, Year. [1] Textbook reading for ultra-efficient learning. College Info Geek. https://collegeinfogeek.com/how-to-read-a-textbook/ (accessed Oct 13, 2021) |
| No date |
No effect on in-text citation. |
Substitute n.d. for no date if no year/date can be found on the Source. [#] Author. Title of document. Source, n.d. [1] R. Patterson, “Textbook reading for ultra-efficient learning.” College Info Geek. https://collegeinfogeek.com/how-to-read-a-textbook/ (accessed Oct 13, 2021) |
| No title |
No effect on in-text citation. |
For informal websites (such as home page or fan websites) or websites without formal titles, use descriptive phrases in your citation in place of page or website titles. [#] A. Author, “Description of document”, Source, Year. [1] R. Patterson, “How to read a textbook”. College Info Geek. https://collegeinfogeek.com/how-to-read-a-textbook/ (accessed Oct 13, 2021) |
| No author and date | No effect on in-text citation. |
Substitute title for Author or the organisation; then provide Source and year. Substitute n.d. for no date if no year/date can be found on the Source. [#] Title, Source, n.d. [1] “Textbook reading for ultra-efficient learning”. College Info Geek. https://collegeinfogeek.com/how-to-read-a-textbook/ (accessed Oct 13, 2021) |
| No author and title | No effect on in-text citation. |
Substitute brief description of document in your own words in place of the Author and title. [#] Description of document, Source, Year. [1] “How to read a textbook”. College Info Geek. https://collegeinfogeek.com/how-to-read-a-textbook/ (accessed Oct 13, 2021) |
| No date and title | No effect on in-text citation. |
For informal websites (such as home page or fan websites) or websites without formal titles, use descriptive phrases in your citation in place of page or website titles. Substitute n.d. for no date if no year/date can be found on the Source. [#] A. Author, Description of document, Source, n.d. [1] R. Patterson, “How to read a textbook”. College Info Geek. https://collegeinfogeek.com/ |
|
No author, date and title *Citing from a source with so few credentials may not be suitable in a piece of academic writing. |
No effect on in-text citation. |
Substitute brief description of document in your own words in place of the Author and title. Substitute n.d. for no date if no year/date can be found on the Source. [#] Description of document, Source, n.d. [1] “How to read a textbook”. College Info Geek. https://collegeinfogeek.com/how-to-read-a-textbook/ (accessed Oct 13, 2021) |
| No source | No effect on in-text citation. |
If you cannot identify the Publisher or City of publication use the following terms
[#] A. Author, Title, s.l.: s.n., Year. |
| No pagination | If there are no page numbers use paragraph numbers instead if these are available. | Skip for reference list if not present. |