CitePerfect
IEEE conference paper

IEEE Format: Paper Template, Layout & References

The layout of an IEEE conference paper, from the title block and abstract to roman-numeral headings and the numbered reference list, on an annotated sample page.

Annotated sample pageChecklistReference list rules

The page, annotated

Tap a numbered marker to see the rule for that part of the page.

Low-Power Sensor Scheduling for Campus Air-Quality Networks
R. Mehta · Dept. of Electrical Engineering · Northfield University

Abstract—We present a duty-cycling scheme that cuts sensor power use while keeping air-quality readings accurate within set limits.

Index Terms—air quality, duty cycling, sensor networks.

I. INTRODUCTION

Low-cost sensors let campuses monitor air quality at many points [1], but battery life limits how often they can report [2]. Earlier schedulers fix the sampling rate in advance [3]. We instead adapt it to recent readings…

Results show that adaptive sampling holds error within bounds while extending battery life on every node tested…

REFERENCES

[1] A. Kim and L. Chen, “Dense urban sensing,” IEEE Sensors J., vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 1–9, 2021.

Rule 1 of 6

Title

Centred across both columns, 24-pt Times, title case. Avoid symbols and abbreviations unless they are widely known.

IEEE paper format, step by step

These layout rules follow IEEE’s conference template and the IEEE Editorial Style Manual. Journals and courses may vary slightly; their template wins.

Page setup

US Letter or A4, two columns, Times New Roman. The conference template uses 10-pt body text, single spacing and justified columns.

Figures, tables and equations

Figure captions go below the figure and start “Fig. 1.”; table captions go above the table as “TABLE I” with the title in small caps. Number equations consecutively in parentheses at the right margin, and refer to them as “(1)”.

Citing in the text

Number sources in the order you first cite them and put the number in square brackets inside the sentence punctuation: “as reported in [4].” Refer to the source rather than the author (“in [4]”, not “in reference [4]”). A source keeps its number every time you cite it.

The reference list

List references under “References” in numerical order. Names are initials then surname, article titles go in quotation marks in sentence case, and journal names go in italics, usually abbreviated.

Pre-submission checklist

0 of 10 checked

Need the references? The IEEE citation generator formats each entry, and the citation checker reviews a list you already have.

Questions students ask

Where do I get the official IEEE template?
IEEE publishes Word and LaTeX conference and journal templates in the IEEE Author Center (IEEEtran for LaTeX). Use the template your conference or course specifies; they already set columns, fonts and spacing.
What font does IEEE use?
Times New Roman (or Times) throughout. The conference template uses 10-pt body text, a 24-pt title and 8-pt reference list.
Is IEEE format single- or double-column?
Published IEEE papers use two columns. Many student reports use a single column with IEEE citations; follow your instructor’s brief.
How are references ordered in IEEE?
By number, in the order sources are first cited in the text, not alphabetically. The list is headed “References” and each entry starts with its bracketed number.