Definitions
1. In-text Citation: An in-text citation is a brief reference within the body of your writing that
gives credit to the source of information, idea, or quote. It typically includes the author's last
name and the year of publication (e.g., Smith, 2020) and sometimes a page number (e.g., Smith,
2020, p. 45), depending on the citation style used (APA, MLA, etc.).
2. References (or Reference List/Bibliography): The reference list is a detailed list at the end
of your work that includes full information on all sources cited in your writing. It allows readers
to locate and retrieve any source used. A reference entry typically includes the author's name,
publication year, title of the work, and publication details.
Major Differences Between In-text Citations and References
Feature In-text Citation References (Reference List)
Appears within the body of the
Location Appears at the end of the document
text
Provides full details to locate the
Purpose Briefly acknowledges the source
original source
Length Short (author, date, page) Long (full publication details)
Example (APA Smith, J. (2020). Title of Book.
(Smith, 2020, p. 45)
style) Publisher.
Depends on reference list for full Stands alone as complete source
Dependency
details information
here are several major citation styles commonly used in academic and research writing, each
with its own rules for formatting in-text citations and references. Here's an overview of the most
widely used ones:
1. APA (American Psychological Association)
Used in: Psychology, education, social sciences.
In-text citation: (Author, Year, p. Page)
Reference format:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the work. Publisher.
Example: Smith, J. (2020). Understanding Psychology. Pearson.
2. MLA (Modern Language Association)
Used in: Humanities, especially literature, language, and cultural studies.
In-text citation: (Author Page)
Works Cited format:
Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Example: Smith, John. The Art of Literature. Penguin, 2020.
3. Chicago Style (Chicago Manual of Style)
Used in: History, fine arts, some social sciences.
Two systems:
o Notes and Bibliography (NB): Footnotes/endnotes + bibliography.
o Author-Date: In-text citations + reference list.
Bibliography format (Author-Date):
Author Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Book. Publisher.
Example: Smith, John. 2020. A History of Europe. Oxford University Press.
4. Harvard Style
Used in: Many academic disciplines (especially in the UK, Australia).
In-text citation: (Author, Year)
Reference format:
Author Last Name, Initial(s). (Year) Title of book. Publisher.
Example: Smith, J. (2020) Global Economics. Routledge.
5. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
Used in: Engineering, computer science, and technology.
In-text citation: [Number]
Reference format:
[1] J. Smith, Digital Circuits, New York: TechPress, 2020.
IEEE Referencing Style – Explained
The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) referencing style is widely used
in engineering, computer science, IT, and related technical fields. It uses numerical citations
and is known for being concise and clear in technical writing.
🔹 Key Features of IEEE Style
Feature Description
In-text citation Uses bracketed numbers like [1], [2], etc.
Reference list Listed in numerical order (not alphabetical)
Citation order Numbers are assigned in the order sources appear in the text
No author's name or date in-text Just a number – full details are in the reference list
🔹 In-text Citation Format
Example:
The algorithm was first introduced in [1].
As shown in [3], performance improves with optimization.
🔹 Reference List Format
Appears at the end of the document, in the order sources are cited.
Numbered and formatted with specific punctuation (no italics, periods between sections).
Common Reference Formats:
📘 Book:
[1] A. A. Author, *Title of Book*, xth ed. City of Publisher: Publisher,
Year.
Example:
[1] J. K. Author, *Digital Systems Design*, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill,
2020.
📄 Journal Article:
[2] A. Author, "Title of article," *Title of Journal*, vol. x, no. x, pp.
xxx–xxx, Month Year.
Example:
[2] M. A. Khan, "Machine learning in wireless sensor networks," *IEEE Trans.
Wireless Commun.*, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 234-240, Apr. 2021.
🖥️Conference Paper:
[3] A. Author, "Paper title," in *Proc. Name of Conf.*, Location, Year, pp.
xxx–xxx.
Example:
[3] T. Sato, "AI-driven robotics," in *Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and
Automation*, Tokyo, Japan, 2019, pp. 112–117.
🌐 Website:
[4] Author (if available), "Title of web document/page," Website name,
Publication date. [Online]. Available: URL [Accessed: Date].
Example:
[4] R. Smith, "Future of AI," IEEE Spectrum, Jan. 5, 2022. [Online].
Available: https://spectrum.ieee.org/future-of-ai [Accessed: Apr. 28, 2025].
🔹 Summary
Component IEEE Style
In-text citation [1], [2], etc.
Reference list Ordered numerically by appearance
Common fields Author(s), Title, Source, Yea
ChatGPT said:
Here are clear examples of direct, indirect (paraphrased), and summarized (another form of
paraphrasing) quotes using IEEE referencing style:
✅ 1. Direct Quote (word-for-word, in quotation marks)
According to Smith, “The future of AI lies in adaptive learning systems that evolve with user
behavior” [1].
➡️This directly quotes the author's exact words. The citation number corresponds to the full
reference in the reference list.
✅ 2. Indirect or Paraphrased Quote (rewritten in your own words)
Smith argues that AI will become more effective as systems begin to adapt based on users’
interactions over time [1].
➡️This restates the idea in your own words, without quotation marks, but still credits the original
source.
✅ 3. Summary (general idea from a larger section)
AI systems are expected to advance significantly through continuous learning and user-focused
development, as discussed in recent studies [1].
➡️This condenses a broader concept or section into a brief point, still citing the original source.
📚 Matching Reference (for all examples)
[1] J. Smith, *AI and the Human Future*, New York: TechWorld Publishers,
2022.
