Mistakes Checklist
Common IEEE Website Citation Mistakes
Published studies report citation/reference error rates between 25-54%. Use this page to catch the most frequent formatting failures before submission.
Top mistakes to avoid
- ⚠Forgetting the reference number
- ⚠Omitting access dates
- ⚠Not using abbreviated months
- ⚠Using parenthetical citations instead of numbers
Wrong vs correct examples
Using parenthetical citation instead of numbered reference
Wrong
(Microsoft, 2024) states that Azure ML provides...
Correct
Reference [1] states that Azure ML provides...
IEEE uses a numbered reference system with square brackets [1], not author-date parenthetical citations. Each source is assigned a number in order of first appearance.
Missing access date for web source
Wrong
[1] Microsoft, "Azure Machine Learning documentation," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/machine-learning/.
Correct
[1] Microsoft, "Azure Machine Learning documentation," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/machine-learning/ (accessed Mar. 20, 2024).
IEEE requires an access date in parentheses for all online sources, using abbreviated months (Jan., Feb., Mar., etc.).
Unabbreviated month in access date
Wrong
[1] Microsoft, "Azure ML docs," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/ (accessed March 20, 2024).
Correct
[1] Microsoft, "Azure ML docs," Microsoft Learn. https://learn.microsoft.com/ (accessed Mar. 20, 2024).
IEEE requires abbreviated months with a period (Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, Jun., Jul., Aug., Sep., Oct., Nov., Dec.). Writing out the full month name is incorrect.
Fix checklist
- ✓Use numbered references in brackets
- ✓Include access date for web sources
- ✓Put page titles in quotation marks
- ✓Italicize website names
Frequently asked questions
How does IEEE numbering work?
References are numbered in order of first appearance in the text. Use [1], [2], etc.
Do I need access dates for all websites in IEEE?
Yes, include "(accessed Mon. DD, YYYY)" for all online sources.
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