Most researchers feel some obligation to accept peer review invitations. The peer review system depends on researchers contributing their time and expertise, so declining an invitation can feel like passing responsibility to someone else. However, knowing when to decline a peer review request is part of being a responsible reviewer. Accepting when you lack the time, expertise, or impartiality to complete a careful manuscript review can delay the editorial process and produce feedback that is rushed or incomplete.
The 2018 Global State of Peer Review report drew on survey responses from more than 11,800 researchers and found that peer review work was concentrated among a relatively small part of the global reviewer population.
When should you decline a peer review request?
You should decline a peer review request when you cannot evaluate the manuscript fairly, complete the review by the deadline, or remain impartial. These are not minor inconveniences. They directly affect the usefulness and integrity of the manuscript review.
The manuscript is outside your expertise
A mismatch in expertise is one of the clearest reasons for declining a review invitation. Reviewer matching may use keywords, publication records, and an editor’s knowledge of the field, but no matching process is perfect. You may understand the broad topic while lacking the specialist knowledge needed to assess the method, dataset, population, or analysis. In that situation, declining the manuscript review is more responsible than trying to evaluate claims beyond your expertise.
A partial match does not always require an automatic refusal. If you can confidently assess an important part of the manuscript, tell the editor where your expertise begins and ends. The editor can then decide whether your contribution would complement another reviewer’s assessment.
You cannot meet the deadline
Limited time is a valid reason to decline a peer review request. The Global State of Peer Review report estimated that reviewers commonly spend several hours completing a report. If that time is not available within the requested window, accepting may add unnecessary pressure to your reviewer workload and create delays for the authors. A useful question is not simply, “Can I submit something?” Ask whether you can give the manuscript review the attention it deserves. A prompt refusal allows the editor to invite someone else sooner, while a late or hurried report can slow the entire peer review process.
There is a conflict of interest
A conflict of interest in peer review should be disclosed as soon as you recognize it. The Committee on Publication Ethics advises reviewers to declare relationships or interests that could affect, or appear to affect, their judgment. Conflict of interest in peer review may involve:
- A close personal or professional relationship with an author
- Direct competition connected to the research
- A financial interest in the outcome
- Previous involvement with the manuscript or underlying work
When your impartiality could reasonably be questioned, declining a review invitation is the appropriate response. Use the journal’s designated disclosure field when one is available. A brief explanation is usually enough for the editor to determine whether you should withdraw. Reviewers who want a broader overview of their responsibilities can also read COPE ethical guidelines for peer reviewers.
What if you are not sure whether to accept?
When the decision is unclear, assess your expertise, available time, and impartiality separately. Being busy does not always mean you need to refuse, and having only partial expertise does not always make the manuscript review impossible. Ask yourself three practical questions:
- Can I assess the main claims and methods fairly?
- Can I complete a careful peer review within the deadline?
- Is there a potential conflict of interest in peer review that the editor should know about?
If one answer is clearly no, declining a review invitation is usually the better choice. If your expertise is partial, explain the limitation before accepting. Editors may still value a reviewer who can assess one part of a multidisciplinary manuscript, provided the boundaries of that expertise are clear.
How should you decline a peer review request?
Decline promptly, provide a short and honest reason, and suggest an alternative reviewer when appropriate. A useful response does not need to be long. Most submission systems include a structured option for declining a review invitation. Use it as soon as you make your decision. Leaving an invitation unanswered for several days increases the editor’s reviewer workload because the search for a replacement cannot move forward. A short explanation is usually sufficient. For example:
- “The manuscript falls outside my current area of expertise.”
- “I am unable to complete a thorough review within the requested deadline.”
- “I need to disclose a potential conflict of interest related to this work.”
These explanations give the editor useful information without requiring you to provide details about your schedule or professional relationships.
Should you suggest another reviewer?
Suggesting another qualified researcher can make declining a review invitation more helpful, but only when you can recommend someone based on relevant expertise. Include a brief reason the person may be suitable. Avoid recommending close collaborators, researchers from your own immediate team, or anyone who may have an obvious conflict with the authors or subject. A thoughtful suggestion can reduce the editor’s reviewer workload and help the manuscript reach someone better placed to assess it. However, do not delay your response while searching extensively for a replacement. Promptly declining the invitation remains the priority.
Why can saying no support better peer review?
Setting realistic boundaries helps protect the quality and sustainability of peer review. Accepting every invitation does not strengthen the system when reviewers are already overcommitted.
A 2017 study examining six journals in ecology and evolution found that the proportion of invitations leading to completed reviews declined substantially at four of the journals. Across those four journals, the average fell from 56% in 2003 to 37% in 2015. Rising submission volumes, uneven distribution of invitations, limited reviewer training, and competing professional responsibilities can all increase reviewer workload. Individual researchers cannot solve those pressures by accepting every manuscript review they receive.
A broader and better-prepared reviewer community can distribute peer review work more sustainably. ReviewerOne supports this goal through training, workflow tools, professional recognition, community, and AI-assisted tools that allow human experts to focus on intellectual evaluation. For more guidance on how technology can support reviewers without replacing their judgment, read AI in peer review: What reviewers need to know.
Key takeaways
Knowing when to decline a peer review request protects review quality, the authors’ time, and your own capacity. Decline when the manuscript is outside your expertise, the deadline is unrealistic, or a conflict of interest in peer review could affect your judgment. When the decision is less clear, be transparent with the editor about partial expertise or scheduling limitations. Declining a review invitation promptly is more helpful than accepting a manuscript review that you cannot complete carefully. Setting responsible boundaries allows you to contribute more effectively when the right review opportunity arrives.
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