Peer-reviewing - how many should you do?

Peer-reviewing - how many should you do?

141421 12 Jul 2016 15:06

I am just finishing my first year in a tenure-track position, and over the year I have been invited to review a lot of papers. Some weeks I was getting 2-3 requests. In the 10 months since I started, I have received at least 50 requests. I was able to eliminate some because the paper was outside my area, or the author was a friend or collaborator. But, most of the papers were interesting, in my area, and would be nice to read and provide feedback before they are published. Moreover, the editors inviting me are often supervisors, past collaborators, or potential future collaborators; all whom I would like to maintain good relationships with. If I said yes to all of them, I would become a professional peer reviewer, and have no time for anything.

What is a reasonable number of peer-reviews to do in a year? Does anyone have strategies or techniques for selecting which papers they review, and how to decline review-requests politely?

Re: Peer-reviewing - how many should you do?

juniorfaculty 13 Jul 2016 18:53

Some people have a rule of doing no more than 3x, with x being the number of papers you're submitting. That way you're reviewing as much as you're being reviewed.

Another rule of thumb is to make sure you are never reviewing more than one paper at a time. That amounts to maybe one per month or so if you take the full time to do the review.

Another strategy is to pass some of your reviews on to graduate students. You need permission to do this, but it could be good training for them. And you'll usually have permission to read the article, too, but you'll presumably be doing less work (even if you are helping the student a bit).

In terms of declining, you should tell the journals that you've been asked to review too many other papers. If you go with the no-more-than-one-at-a-time rule it's easy to say you are already reviewing another one. Sometimes you want to be reviewing 0 articles at a time, though, so it's good to come up with other "I'm too busy" excuses. Usually when you decline editors want to know who else to contact, so suggesting names is very helpful. This is one reason getting grad students in the mix is a good idea.

Re: Peer-reviewing - how many should you do?

gr938 28 Jul 2016 20:33

Feel free to decline. Also, I try to limit myself to 2-3 reviews per month. Do people care about peer reviews for promotion? I suppose they care a little. I think they want to see you are involved in the scientific community. If you have other things going on then I see no problem in rejecting more invitations.

Re: Peer-reviewing - how many should you do?

medctrprof 12 Aug 2016 23:08

If you are being asked to review a lot for the same journal ask to be on the editorial board. At least then you'll get credit for your work! Outside of the editorial boards I am on, I review 1-2 articles a month (at most!) and only if they are on a topic that interests me and in a high-ish impact journal. I also refuse all requests during grant submissions times, but let the editor know my reason for refusing and (depending on the journal) that I'd be happy to review in the future.

Last edited on 12 Aug 2016 23:09 by medctrprof Show more

Re: Peer-reviewing - how many should you do?

DocJ 13 Aug 2016 17:37

Medctrprof has a great point. That said, for more junior colleagues - absolutely list *every* journal you've reviewed for on your CV under service as an ad-hoc reviewer.

Re: Peer-reviewing - how many should you do?

Slatherhodger 28 Aug 2016 16:20

Yup…if there is one journal that you have been reviewing for a lot, ask to join the editorial board. If they say no, consider reviewing less for them. Mind you, there are different cultures around different journals…but it is your time, so treat it as a commodity.

Re: Peer-reviewing - how many should you do?

AliasAlias 30 Aug 2016 05:27

Do at least 3 per year.

Do at most 15 per year.

A full professor (who has high service obligations to the field and university) might do 2 per month at most.

You're an assistant professor. You need publications and good teaching for tenure. Service won't get you tenure and you need to guard your time zealously.