Cybersecurity Engineering

Welcome to the IEEE style basics video series. This video series comprises three parts: IEEE paper format, citation basics, and creating IEEE citations.

In part one, we will cover the parts of an IEEE paper, how they are organized, and the paper format. In part two, we will review why citations are important, when we must cite our sources, and when we do not need to cite them. In part three, we will learn about citations for different resource types, as well as some important IEEE citation formatting requirements.

When you have completed this video series, there is a brief online exercise that you may complete to test your understanding. For some classes, there will be a required graded exercise to complete and submit.

First, we will look at a page of an IEEE published paper to help you familiarize yourself with the IEEE paper format. This is similar to what the first page of your paper will look like when it is finished. IEEE papers are usually formatted with two columns and the text is single spaced. In some journals, the abstract is a single column as seen here, but in other papers it conforms to the two column format.

The IEEE paper template that you can access includes the abstract in the two column format. The author's name, abstract, and the paper itself should be in a 10-point serif font such as Times New Roman. The title is 24.5 point font. The IEEE style manual on the right inside page of the computer science, cyber security, systems engineering, and ECE subject guides have more specific details about margins, section headings and so on and so forth. As you look at the example, note some of the parts of the paper on this first page, the title, abstract, index terms, and introduction are all found here. Other information included are the names of the authors and their affiliations in the lower left corner. Other information on the lower left includes the article digital object identifier, as well as the publication timeline.

The next several slides lists the details of an IEEE paper in the order that you will see them, as well as the information they contain. The title of a paper is very important. It is the first thing a researcher will see, so the title should be descriptive and related to the paper topic. This way the researcher will know something about the paper just by reading the title. Remember, finalize your title after the paper is completed. This helps ensure that your title matches your paper well. Beneath the title are the author's names.

The order of the author listing for a group is something that the group must decide. There are no fixed rules. The order could be alphabetical or reverse alphabetical by last name, done with the project leader first, or the person who proposed the original idea first. [The author listing] is followed by the abstract in IEEE papers.

In IEEE papers, the abstract is 150 to 250 words and one paragraph and it summarizes your project: why and how you did it and what you learned by doing it. The abstract is not usually written until the paper is finished ensuring that the abstract aligns with the paper.

Good index terms are important because they describe the topics covered in a paper and make it easier for researchers to find the paper in a database. The index terms on the example paper may have been selected by the authors or assigned by IEEE. Frequently, natural language keywords are provided by the authors.

The introduction to a research paper is especially important. It defines the scope and goals of the research project or paper. It also introduces the reader to the topic or the research questions the author hopes to answer. The research questions are usually found near the end of a paper's introduction.

The body of the paper is the largest part and it usually comprises several sections including a literature review or background section that examines already completed research that is related to the project. This section frequently contains many citations. There may also be a method section that describes how the research or experiment was done. In the results section, the data gathered or the outcomes of the research are reported. Figures and graphs may be used to report this information. In a discussion or analysis section, the authors discuss and interpret the results. Figures and graphs related to the analysis or interpretation of the data may be included here. The paper's conclusion section is a very brief recap of the project's findings and it may also include suggestions or recommendations for further research on the topic. The optional acknowledgements section is used by authors to thank others for their help and support.

The last section of the paper is the reference list. Unlike other [citation] styles, the IEEE reference list starts immediately after the paper ends. It is not on a separate page and it conforms to the two column format. The reference section must list the complete information for all sources cited in the text of the paper. Sometimes, it may include information for sources that were consulted, but not cited.

Brief author bios may include pictures and are found after the references. They conform to the two column style. When you start writing your paper, consider using the IEEE word template linked on your subject research guide's write & cite webpage. All the formatting is already set up for you and this could help make the process easier.

Thank you for viewing part one of the IEEE style basics [series]. If you have any questions, please contact the engineering librarian via email using the link on your subject research guides home page. Please join me for part two, where we will talk about the need for citations in a research paper and the types of citations you must use.