How to Increase Line Spacing in IEEE References

If you use the IEEEtran LaTeX class, the usual way to add space between reference entries is to change \IEEEbibitemsep. Set it before the bibliography starts. The example below uses a manual bibliography and compiles as a complete document.

Add space between reference entries

\documentclass[journal]{IEEEtran}

\begin{document}

The sources are cited here \cite{lamport,mittelbach}.

% This controls the gap between bibliography items.
\setlength{\IEEEbibitemsep}{6pt}

\begin{thebibliography}{2}

\bibitem{lamport}
L. Lamport, \emph{LaTeX: A Document Preparation System},
2nd ed. Reading, MA, USA: Addison-Wesley, 1994.

\bibitem{mittelbach}
F. Mittelbach et al., \emph{The LaTeX Companion},
2nd ed. Boston, MA, USA: Addison-Wesley, 2004.

\end{thebibliography}

\end{document}

The value 6pt is an example; choose a smaller or larger value as needed. Put the \setlength command before \begin{thebibliography} so IEEEtran can use it when it sets up the bibliography list.

For a BibTeX-generated bibliography, put the setting immediately before the bibliography commands:

\setlength{\IEEEbibitemsep}{6pt}
\bibliographystyle{IEEEtran}
\bibliography{references}

Here, references is the name of your .bib file, without its extension. Compile with LaTeX, BibTeX, then LaTeX twice so the citations and reference list update.

Change spacing within a reference

The command above changes the vertical gap between separate entries. It does not increase the leading between lines when a single long reference wraps. To increase that line spacing, apply a line spread locally around the bibliography instead:

\begingroup
\linespread{1.15}\selectfont
\bibliographystyle{IEEEtran}
\bibliography{references}
\endgroup

The factor 1.15 is an example. This changes the leading for the bibliography’s text, including wrapped lines, while keeping the rest of the document unchanged. You can use this together with \IEEEbibitemsep if you want both more space between entries and looser line spacing inside them.

If you are not using the IEEEtran class

\IEEEbibitemsep is provided by the IEEEtran class; it is not a command from the IEEEtran.bst BibTeX style. If you use a different document class with the IEEE bibliography style, the style file formats the references but generally does not provide this class-specific spacing length. You can set the bibliography list’s \itemsep instead. For example, with the etoolbox package, add this to the preamble:

\usepackage{etoolbox}
\AtBeginEnvironment{thebibliography}{\setlength{\itemsep}{6pt}}

Check that this works with your class’s bibliography environment, which may define its own list settings.

Common mistakes

• Changing the wrong kind of spacing: \IEEEbibitemsep separates bibliography items; it does not control the leading between lines inside one item.
• Setting the length too late: Put it before the bibliography environment or generated bibliography begins.
• Changing the whole document: Avoid global spacing commands if you only want to adjust references.
• Ignoring the template requirements: IEEE’s prescribed layout may be required for a submission. Make spacing changes only for drafts or when the venue or instructor permits them.