IEEE Journal Article Citation Format With DOI and Examples

An IEEE journal article citation uses a number in square brackets in the text—such as [1]—and a matching numbered entry in the reference list. The entry usually contains the authors' initials and surnames, the article title in quotation marks, an abbreviated journal name, volume and issue information, pages or an article identifier, publication date, and DOI when available.

Here is a genuine format example supplied in Curtin University's IEEE referencing guide:

[1] W. Jahn, J. L. Urban, and G. Rein, “Climate change: Could there be more electricity blackouts in the future?,” IEEE Power Energy Mag., vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 16–27, Jan./Feb. 2022, doi: 10.1109/MPE.2021.3122755.

The source guide uses slightly different abbreviation/punctuation conventions in places; this version consistently separates the three authors with commas. A writer using that article for the first time would cite it in the text as [1]. The entry's DOI identifies the scholarly paper; its number identifies the paper's place in your own reference list.

IEEE Journal Article Reference Template

A useful general template is:

[n] A. A. Author, B. B. Author, and C. C. Author, “Title of journal article,” Abbrev. Journal Name, vol. x, no. y, pp. xx–yy, Mon. Year, doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx.

This is a placeholder template, not a published reference. Many IEEE journals use particular punctuation, abbreviated journal names and data-field order; follow the publication's own author template if one has been provided. The IEEE Professional Communication Society's reference guidance confirms the core periodical components.

IEEE has a significantly different author format from APA. APA begins with Smith, A., while IEEE normally writes A. Smith. Small differences like that are easy to miss when changing a paper from one style to another.

Breaking Down the Real Journal Citation

In the example above, the journal article has three named authors: Jahn, Urban and Rein. The title appears within quotation marks. IEEE Power Energy Mag. is the compact journal-title form; the number 20 represents the volume, 1 the issue, and 16–27 the page range. Jan./Feb. 2022 identifies the issue's publication period, and the DOI is a unique paper identifier.

A complete entry allows someone to retrieve the exact paper and helps citation tools identify it. Do not replace the DOI with a Google search result URL or an institutional single-sign-on link when the true DOI is available.

If your paper has cited two unrelated books before this journal article, the same journal paper might be [3] in your paper. The number [1] in an example elsewhere is not inherent to the article. Citation labels are local to your document.

How to cite this article in the text

An IEEE in-text citation normally carries a bracketed number rather than an author and year:

A published analysis has considered electricity-blackout risks under changing climatic conditions [1].

This sentence only describes the broad subject indicated by the article's title; it does not claim a precise finding from the full paper. When you quote or paraphrase a result, read the article and confirm the statement against its actual text.

You can also write Jahn et al. [1] discuss ... if the prose benefits from naming the authors, but the bracketed number remains necessary to connect the claim to the reference. The entire reference with its DOI sits in the numbered list at the end.

How to Format the DOI in IEEE

A Digital Object Identifier identifies the scholarly article independently of the page where you downloaded it. The traditional IEEE journal-reference pattern puts the label doi: followed by the DOI itself, for example:

doi: 10.1109/MPE.2021.3122755.

Do not add an arbitrary prefix to a valid DOI or create a DOI for an article that does not have one. Check the DOI against the publisher's article page or Crossref metadata search if you are unsure.

Should IEEE show the DOI as a URL instead?

Both DOI strings and DOI links appear in IEEE-related teaching guides. Some institutions give doi: 10...; others demonstrate an address such as https://doi.org/10.... They are different renderings of the same identifier, but the format required by your venue determines which is preferred. Curtin and George Mason provide examples in the doi: form, which this guide uses for consistency.

Do not mix DOI variants at random throughout one reference list. A single template makes the document easier to read and audit.

Is an access date required for a DOI-based journal article?

Generally, an access date is not necessary when a stable DOI identifies the journal article. The Murdoch University IEEE journal guide makes that distinction from ordinary online materials requiring an access date or online location details. When your venue mandates an access date even for published journal papers, follow its instructions.

IEEE Journal Article With an Article Number Instead of Pages

Not every digital journal uses printed page ranges. An article number can replace pagination, especially for electronic-only publications. A real example included in George Mason University's IEEE guide is:

[2] R. Fardel, M. Nagel, F. Nuesch, T. Lippert, and A. Wokaun, “Fabrication of organic light emitting diode pixels by laser-assisted forward transfer,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 91, no. 6, Aug. 2007, Art. no. 061103.

This example has an Art. no. field in place of a pp. page range. It is a real bibliography illustration with no DOI stated in that particular library example. Don't invent one to make the citation look more complete.

The position of an article number varies across specific house styles. The principle is straightforward: distinguish a publication article identifier from a numbered page. If the journal lists Art. no., preserve that field and skip made-up pages.

IEEE Article Reference With No DOI

When a paper genuinely has no DOI, do not paste a random database link in its place. A print journal article can typically end after its conventional volume, issue, pages and date information. For an online-only article without a DOI, library guides commonly add an online availability field and a usable URL.

One documented example from George Mason University is:

[3] W. P. Risk, G. S. Kino, and H. J. Shaw, “Fiber-optic frequency shifter using a surface acoustic wave incident at an oblique angle,” Opt. Lett., vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 115–117, Feb. 1986. [Online]. Available: http://ol.osa.org/abstract.cfm?URI=ol-11-2-115

That example is provided to demonstrate an online link in a library's IEEE guide; the publisher link is historical and may have changed. You should verify the current access route before relying on an older website address in a new paper.

Abbreviated Journal Titles: How to Get Them Right

IEEE often abbreviates journal titles, such as IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. for IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. This is not simply a matter of cutting words wherever you like. A standardized periodical abbreviation should be used where available.

Consult recent articles from the target journal or the journal's author guide. The IEEE Professional Communication Society also advises following IEEE style and checking recent journal references for examples. Don't invent abbreviations for obscure titles; use a verified form or the complete title when your instructor permits it.

The punctuation inside the paper title matters too. The article title is normally in quotation marks, while the journal name is italicized. Confusing those elements makes the reference difficult to scan and can produce formatting inconsistent with technical publications.

How to Build an IEEE Journal Reference in Six Steps

1. Find the authoritative metadata. Start from the publisher's landing page, the first page of the article, or a trustworthy citation record.
2. Copy the author sequence exactly. Convert given names to initials but retain the same ordering; follow any special author-count instructions from your venue.
3. Format the article and journal titles. Put the paper title in quotation marks and use the journal's accepted abbreviated title.
4. Record publication identifiers. Add volume, issue and either pp. page range or Art. no. identifier where available.
5. Add publication date and DOI. Use the correct month/year and copy the DOI precisely rather than relying on an institutional proxy link.
6. Assign the bracketed reference number. Number it according to the first appearance of this source in your manuscript; reuse that number every time the article is mentioned.

If you work with Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote or BibTeX, inspect the output. Citation managers can mishandle journal abbreviations, early-access dates, coauthor fields and PDF metadata. A good reference manager is a formatting aid, not a substitute for looking at the source.

IEEE Journal References vs. APA Journal References

Both styles can cite the same scholarly paper, but they structure its metadata differently.

Both styles can be legitimate, but mixing them is not. If an engineering class requests IEEE, don't alphabetize the numbered list as though it were APA or write author–year citations in the body.

Mistakes to Fix Before Submitting

• Citation number doesn't match: The [5] in your paper must point to the entry labelled [5], not another paper.
• Journal abbreviations are guessed: Verify the name against a current journal title list or publisher example.
• Article number is treated as a page: Use Art. no. when the publisher identifies an article ID.
• DOI leads to an unrelated article: Confirm author, title and DOI are one bibliographic record.
• Unpublished issue data is invented: For early access, use the correct early-access notation instead.
• Online links are temporary: Avoid library proxy URLs when a stable DOI or public publisher link exists.
• Inconsistent punctuation across entries: Choose your course or journal's template and apply it consistently.

Conclusion

To cite an academic journal article correctly in IEEE, focus on the exact bibliographic record: author initials, quoted title, abbreviated journal, volume/issue, page span or article number, date and DOI. Then assign the article a bracketed number in order of first use in your paper. Source verification matters more than cosmetic formatting: the right [1] and a live DOI help readers locate the specific technical publication you actually consulted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an IEEE journal article citation need a DOI?

Include a DOI when the article has one and the assigned journal or institution's format calls for it. Not every older or online journal paper has a DOI. If it genuinely lacks one, use the applicable print or online reference format rather than fabricating a DOI.

Should the IEEE journal title be abbreviated?

IEEE journal references usually use accepted abbreviated titles. For example, many IEEE Transactions titles have standard abbreviated forms. Check your journal's guide or recent published references rather than inventing abbreviations from the full title. Some institutions permit full titles in particular contexts.

Do I write the DOI as doi: or as a URL in IEEE?

Many IEEE guides use doi: 10.xxxx/xxxxx; others demonstrate a DOI URL. Both point to the same identifier, but publisher and institution templates can prefer one presentation. Use the exact format specified for your assignment, consistently across the reference list.

How do I cite a journal article with an article number in IEEE?

Where the journal has an electronic article ID instead of regular pages, write Art. no. followed by the actual identifier and include the other publication metadata. Do not invent a page range. The George Mason University guide demonstrates this with a real Applied Physics Letters article identified as Art. no. 061103.

Do I cite a journal article PDF differently in IEEE?

Not normally. A PDF downloaded from a publisher or scholarly database is still a journal article. Use the journal paper's bibliographic information and DOI when provided. The PDF extension is a file format, not an alternative source category that justifies losing the volume, issue or article number.