Every review assignment carries a due date, shown with the assignment on the journal’s Reviews page and in the invitation itself. Reminders are automatic, so you will not be chased by hand, and you will not be surprised by a deadline either.
How due dates are set
The deadline is set by the journal, either individually for the submission or from the journal’s standard review period, commonly around three weeks from acceptance. Editors can adjust deadlines, so if the date looks wrong, ask them rather than working to it.
The reminder schedule
- Before you respond: an unanswered invitation is nudged after a few days, then once more. It expires after two weeks, or at the review's due date if that comes sooner, so the editors can invite someone else.
- After you accept: you are reminded shortly before the due date, on the date itself, and again if it passes without a submitted review.
- When a review is overdue: you are reminded again in the days after the deadline, and a week past it the editors are told as well. Two weeks past it, they are alerted again and decide what happens next: a reminder, a new date or a replacement reviewer. You keep access to the manuscript until they release or replace you.
If you need more time
Deadlines are there to keep authors informed, not to catch reviewers out. If you need a short extension, reply to the reminder email or contact the editorial team through the journal, and they can move the date. Asking early, before the due date, is far better for everyone.