IEEE Formatting Guidelines for Research Papers (2017)
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, is a leading professional organization that publishes some of the most respected technical standards and research in the fields of engineering, computing, and technology. For authors seeking to publish their work through the IEEE, proper formatting is essential. In 2017, the IEEE updated their formatting standards for research papers submitted for publication. This article provides an in-depth look at the key IEEE formatting guidelines researchers should follow for papers submitted in 2017 and beyond.
General Paper Guidelines
The standard paper size for IEEE submissions is 8.5″ x 11″ or 21.59cm x 27.94cm. Papers submitted should have 1-inch or 2.54cm margins on all sides. The standard IEEE paper format is single column. Double column formats are only permitted for certain transactions and journals. Papers are limited to a maximum of 6 printed pages but conferences or journals may have stricter length limits that authors need to check. Figures, tables, and references do not count towards the page limit. Papers exceeding the page limit risk rejection without review.
Font and Spacing Requirements
The font style used throughout an IEEE paper should be Times New Roman. Font size 12pt is standard but conferences or journals may specify a different size such as 11pt. Line spacing should be at least one-and-a-half or double spaced. Paragraph indentation is not required. The title should be centered and in bold 14pt Times New Roman font. Author names are centered below the title in 12pt non-bold font. Centers, affiliations, emails are also 12pt and centered below the author listing. Abstracts are single paragraph blocks indented 0.25 inches or 0.635cm on both sides in 12pt font. The main body text, figures, tables, and references are all in 12pt font.
Section Headings
Primary section headings like “Introduction”, “Results”, and “Conclusion” are centered, boldface with each word capitalized and numbered consecutively. They may be 12pt or 14pt font depending on the conference or journal preferences. Secondary section headings like “Data Collection” under “Methods” are left-justified, boldface with only the first letters of each word capitalized, and numbered consecutively. Tertiary section headings follow the same formatting as secondary but they are not bolded. Quaternary headings are treated as normal body text paragraphs with the first letter of the first word capitalized followed by a period.
Figures and Tables
All figures and tables are numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals. Captions must be centered below figures and above tables in 12pt font. Figures, tables, and captions cannot carry headers, footers, or page numbers and they must be positioned within the column boundaries. When possible, figures and tables should be placed as close as possible to where they are referenced in the text for improved readability. Image files must be high quality resolution with legible text, lines and labels. Authors can use either color or black/white figures depending on the journal preferences.
Equations
Equations are numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals in parentheses flush with the right margin. Complex equations require clear, high resolution images and may be centered on separate lines above and below the equation for readability. Units follow SI standard and are written with negative exponents such as N⋅m instead of Nm. Authors should use Equation Editor or MathType for creating, numbering and formatting equations.
Citations and References
IEEE citation style follows a sequential reference number system without superscripts or brackets. Citations are inserted in the text as numbered references enclosed in square brackets like [1]. The reference list appears at the end of the paper before any appendices and it is numbered in the order the references appear in the text. Each reference is singly spaced in 12pt font with a hanging indent of 0.25 inches or 0.635cm for the second and subsequent lines. Authors providing DOIs should ensure they are the full length unbroken links.
Conclusion
Proper formatting and structure is crucial for research papers to be accepted for publication by the IEEE. Authors must thoroughly review and comply with the latest 2017 IEEE formatting guidelines to avoid potential rejection. Conferences and journals may have style preferences that deviate slightly so it is important for authors to check requirements on the specific target publication. Adherence to the universal IEEE standards discussed here will help improve the logical flow, readability and credibility of any technical research paper submitted for review.