IEEE Style — General paper format
Overview
IEEE is widely used for engineering/CS conference and journal submissions and is strongly template-driven: venues often require a dense, production-style layout (two columns), an “Index Terms/Keywords” line, and numbered references—so spacing and typography should follow the official Word/LaTeX template styles.
This page focuses on Word (.docx) layout checks and template application (columns, spacing, headings, captions, and the references block layout). For venue-specific camera-ready nuances, always defer to the official IEEE template for your target conference/journal.
How to use FreeFormat with this guide
- 1Click “Format using this template” to open the tool with the IEEE template pre-selected.
- 2Upload the .docx document that should follow this guide and start a formatting job (or run a format check first).
- 3Download the formatted document and cross-check key details against the rules and self-check notes below.
Source: Purdue OWL — IEEE General Format
Key notes & self-check
Quick parameters (what to expect in IEEE templates)
Quick params| Item | Typical IEEE template expectation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paper size | US Letter (8.5" × 11") or A4 | Depends on the venue/template |
| Margins | About 1 inch (or metric equivalent) | Follow the official template |
| Columns | Two columns (final/camera-ready) | Some venues allow single-column drafts |
| Body font | Serif (e.g., Times New Roman) | Body text is commonly around 10 pt |
| Line spacing | Single / template-defined | Avoid extra blank lines between paragraphs |
| Paragraph indent | Usually none | Paragraph spacing is controlled by styles |
| Alignment | Typically fully justified | Let the template handle justification/hyphenation |
| Abstract | Single paragraph under bold “Abstract” | Often top of the left column |
| Keywords | “Index Terms” / “Keywords” line | Comma-separated terms |
| Figures/tables captions | Tables: above; Figures: below | “TABLE I”, “Fig. 1.”, sequential numbering |
| References layout | Numbered list in citation order | Details depend on IEEE reference rules |
Common IEEE layout mistakes (high-impact + easy to verify)
Top mistakesTool-detectable / style-related
- Double spacing or extra blank lines between paragraphs (IEEE templates are usually single-spaced and style-controlled).
- Body text left at 12 pt defaults (many IEEE templates use ~10 pt body text).
- Body paragraphs indented (IEEE body is often flush-left; spacing is controlled by styles).
- Captions placed in the wrong position (tables: above; figures: below).
Manual but critical (verify against the venue template)
- Two-column requirement ignored in the final/camera-ready file.
- Heading numbering scheme inconsistent (e.g., mixing
I./1.or mismatching subsection labels). - Missing “Index Terms/Keywords” line when the template expects it.
- Equations not numbered consistently (numbers should align to the right margin of the column and be referenced as (1), (2), …).
Submission self-check (actions, not parameters)
Checklist- Style sanity check: pick 3 random body paragraphs and confirm they use the expected body style (not hand-tuned spacing).
- Spacing sanity check: verify there are no manual blank lines between paragraphs; spacing should come from styles.
- Columns sanity check: confirm your final/camera-ready file is two-column if required by the venue template.
- Headings sanity check: headings follow one consistent numbering scheme and formatting across levels.
- Abstract block: “Abstract” heading + single-paragraph abstract; add “Index Terms/Keywords” if required.
- Captions sanity check: table captions are above tables; figure captions are below figures.
- Cross-references: every figure/table/equation is referenced in the text and numbered sequentially.
- References section: “References” exists and numbering matches citation order.
What this template can (and cannot) guarantee
ScopeIt can help with: margins/page setup basics, body typography & spacing, heading styles, and basic caption styling.
It cannot guarantee: every venue-specific IEEE conference/journal nuance (exact column widths, required header/footer suppression, camera-ready production metadata), because those details vary by template and publisher workflows.
Best practice: start from the official IEEE Word/LaTeX template for your target venue, then use this page/tool to verify the key layout rules.
