IEEE Referencing Guide: Introduction

Reference List - General Format

The Reference List is a detailed list of all of the sources that you have cited in your text.  The list should be placed at the back of your assignment. The details provided with each entry will enable the readers of your assignment to be able to locate your original sources should they wish. For example, Reference List entries will include the names of publishers for printed work, and web site addresses for online sources.

Your Reference list should contain the details of all of the work that specifically support the ideas, claims, and concepts of your assignment. In general, each work that you cite in your text must also appear in your Reference list, and each entry in your Reference list must also be cited in the main text of your assignment. 

A reference list of items cited is located at the end of your work, starting on a new page.

The general rules for creating a list are:

• The citations in the reference list are numbered sequentially, i.e. 1–5, and not in alphabetical order.
• Reference numbers are listed on the left side of the page and form a column of their own. They are enclosed in square brackets.
• The name of the author(s) is abbreviated to the initial(s) only and precedes the surname(s).
• Use "and" in between two authors' names or before the last if listing more than two.
• Put the names of all authors up to six names. If there are more than six names use "et al." (in italics) after the first author.
• Anonymous works should start with the title.
• Each reference should end with a full stop unless ending with a URL.
• A list of useful abbreviations to use in references can be found below
• Abbreviations of IEEE Magazine Titles and Reference Abbreviations can be found in IEEE Magazine Title and Reference Abbreviations.

Introduction

Order of Works

Page Numbers

Abbreviations