How a review proceeds
Each request follows the same sequence. The fee, the deadline, and the visibility policy are fixed by the journal before a reviewer is invited, and do not change once an invitation is accepted.
The sequence
A journal submits a request
An approved editor submits a manuscript with a fixed fee, a review deadline, and a visibility policy: reviewers see either the abstract alone or the full text before deciding whether to accept.
A reviewer is invited
The manuscript is matched to a credentialed reviewer in the relevant subspecialty. The reviewer sees the stated fee and deadline and either accepts or declines. The fee is not negotiated.
Manuscript access is granted
On acceptance, the reviewer receives the level of access the journal specified when the request was submitted.
The review is submitted
The reviewer completes a structured review and submits it by the deadline.
Payment is released
Payment releases when a complete review is submitted. One round of revision review is included in the original fee. Further rounds are requested and priced separately by the journal.
Revision rounds
One round of revision review is included in the original fee. When the authors return a revised manuscript, the same reviewer is invited to assess the revision against their original review, within a deadline set by the journal.
If a journal requires a second or subsequent round, it submits a further request and sets a fee for it. The reviewer may accept or decline that request as with any other.
Manuscript visibility
The journal chooses what an invited reviewer sees before accepting: the abstract alone, or the full text. This choice is made per request. Whichever policy is chosen, the reviewer receives the full manuscript on acceptance.
Reviewers are asked to decline invitations where they have a conflict of interest. Where the abstract-only policy is in use, a reviewer who identifies a conflict after receiving the full text may withdraw without penalty, and the request is reissued.
Entry points
Apply for editor access if you are an editor-in-chief or handling editor of a medical journal.
Sign in with ORCID if you are a clinician or researcher who reviews manuscripts.