You have a working experiment, a folder full of charts, and a deadline. The tricky part is deciding which results belong in the paper and what a reviewer needs to know to trust them. If you’re learning how to write an IEEE research paper, start by choosing the conference or journal and writing down the single claim your evidence supports. That claim will guide what you include in the introduction, which results you show, and what you can say in the abstract. Once the draft makes sense on its own, use the venue’s template and check the exported PDF page by page.
Quick answer. Choose your IEEE venue and download its Word or LaTeX template. Draft the methods and results, then write the introduction, discussion, and conclusion. Write the abstract and choose keywords after the findings are settled. Check your numbered citations, export the PDF, and follow the venue’s submission instructions.
Table of contents
- #choose-the-venue-and-download-its-template
- Build the draft around one research claim.
- IEEE abstract and keywords format
- IEEE citation and referencing format
- IEEE two-column paper format
- Export and check your submission PDF
- #frequently-asked-questions
Choose the venue and download its template.
Open the instructions for your conference track or journal article type before setting up the document. Look for the page limit, whether references count toward it, and whether the review copy needs to be anonymised. Download the template from the venue’s instructions. IEEE provides conference templates for both Word and LaTeX, including Word versions for A4 and US Letter. Use the page size specified by the conference. IEEE conference authoring tools and templates
An IEEE conferenceTrack, page limit, paper size, review anonymity, and instructions for the final accepted versionAn IEEE journalArticle type, initial submission layout, abstract requirements, and any separate figure or supplementary files
Save the venue instructions alongside your draft. When the portal asks for an anonymous review copy or a specific final PDF, you can go straight back to the requirements for that stage.
Build the draft around one research claim.
Try finishing this sentence before you write the introduction. “Under these test conditions, our method improved ___ compared with ___.” The blanks tell you what evidence to keep. For a measurement or observational study, state what you observed and under which conditions. Then outline each section around a question a reviewer might ask.
IntroductionWhat problem did you study, what gap remains, and what does your paper contribute?Related workWhich existing studies or methods are closest to yours?MethodsWhat data, equipment, settings, and evaluation procedure did you use?ResultsWhat did you observe, and which figures or tables show it?DiscussionHow should readers interpret the result, and where might it change?ConclusionWhat can readers take away from the evidence?
Start with the methods and results.
Record the dataset, sample size, measurement units, and settings while your notes are still fresh. For a machine learning paper, identify the training and test split, the baseline, and the metric used to compare models. For a hardware experiment, include details such as the sensor model, sampling rate, and test environment when they affect the outcome.
Choose the figures and tables before writing the results paragraphs. If a table shows performance across five conditions, point readers to the largest change or an unexpected result. Give enough context to interpret the number. For instance, a drop in inference time means more when readers know the device and workload used for the test.
Use the introduction to set up the result.
Start with the practical problem, then explain what prior studies leave open. If earlier vibration studies used laboratory data, say what your field measurements add and cite the studies you’re comparing against. End the introduction with a specific contribution. In the discussion, return to the same question and explain what your results support. If you tested one motor model, keep the conclusion tied to that model and the operating conditions you measured.
IEEE abstract and keywords format
Write the abstract after you settle the results. Use one paragraph that explains the problem, the method, the main finding, and what the finding means. IEEE’s editorial style manual calls for a standalone abstract without numbered references, numbered equations, or footnotes. Follow the word limit in your target venue’s instructions. IEEE Editorial Style Manual for Authors
A useful results sentence names the comparison and the conditions. For example, in a fictional motor study, “Across three test speeds, the model detected bearing faults with a macro F1 score of 0.91, compared with 0.84 for the baseline.” In your own abstract, use the verified value and the same metric name that appears in the results.
Use the label in your template, such as Index Terms. Choose phrases that describe the task, method, or application. IEEE’s journal style manual lists index terms alphabetically. A motor study might use Bearing fault detection, induction motors, vibration analysis. IEEE Editorial Style Manual for Authors
IEEE citation and referencing format
Give a source a number when you first cite it and reuse that number whenever you cite the source again. Put the number in square brackets before the sentence punctuation. For example, “A vibration-based baseline was evaluated under fixed-speed conditions [1].” The first reference entry should give readers the details they need to find that source. IEEE Reference Guide
A journal reference typically includes the authors, article title, journal name, volume, issue, pages or article number, and year. A conference paper reference identifies the proceedings. Use the guide’s example for the specific source type and check the DOI against the publisher’s record when available.
After moving paragraphs, scan the citations in reading order. A source that first appeared in the methods may now appear earlier in the introduction. Refresh the bibliography through your reference manager or LaTeX workflow, then check the PDF for unresolved citations and numbers that point to the wrong entry.
IEEE two-column paper format
Use the template’s built-in styles for headings, body text, captions, and references. In Word, paste your draft as plain text into the venue template and apply its styles. In LaTeX, start from the venue’s sample file and compile early so you can see how the figures and equations fit. IEEE’s conference template instructions specify conference mode for LaTeX.
Check each chart at the size it appears on the page. If its labels are hard to read at normal zoom, shorten them or use a two-column figure where the template permits it. For a wide table, see whether shorter headings or a clearer grouping makes it fit. Use the template’s figure and table placement rules, and remove all sample text before export.
Export and check your submission PDF
Open the exported PDF as a reader would. Start with the first page, where errors in the title, author block, and affiliations often carry into the submission form. Then work through the rest of the document.
- Page setup. Confirm the paper size, page count, and margins match the venue’s instructions.
- Readability. Check figure labels, equations, and tables for clipping or overlap.
- References. Spot-check citation numbers against the bibliography and search for unresolved placeholders.
- Review requirements. If the venue requires anonymity, check the author block, acknowledgements, and PDF properties against its instructions.
- Final upload. If required, use IEEE PDF eXpress to generate or validate the PDF, then upload the checked file through the conference submission portal.
Frequently asked questions
Can I write an IEEE research paper in Word?
Yes. IEEE supplies Word templates for conference papers. Use the version linked by your venue and check the required page size before you begin.
Do all IEEE journals require two columns for initial submission?
Check the instructions for the journal and article type you’re submitting. The required layout can depend on the submission stage.
Can I cite references in an IEEE abstract?
IEEE’s editorial style manual excludes numbered citations from the abstract. Put the discussion of prior studies and their citations in the introduction or related work section.
Is PDF eXpress the final submission portal?
PDF eXpress can create or validate the PDF. Submit the resulting file through the portal named in your conference instructions.
Before you submit
Read the abstract beside the conclusion, then check both against the results. Each should describe the same finding under the same conditions. Make that final content check before reviewing the PDF layout and uploading the paper.
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