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, and expires after about two weeks 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: the editors are alerted as well, and a review left unsubmitted for about two weeks past its deadline lapses, prompting the editors to arrange a replacement reviewer.
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. Doing this early is far better for everyone than letting the assignment lapse.