Requests to review from journals

[futureapppsy2]

For those who you who've gotten requests to peer review manuscripts from journals, do you generally take them all? I'm far from getting flooded from review requests (I've gotten about 6 ad hoc requests in around two years, not counting non-ad hoc requests or things I've "co-reviewed" with faculty) and I'm generally flattered by them, so have yet to turn any down. However, I know that some faculty (often at the point in their careers where they likely get tons of them) tend to turn them down, judging that the time would be better spent on working on manuscripts, grant applications, etc.

What has been your experience?

(By the way, if you're well-established enough to be flooded with review requests, you have my sincere congrats! ).

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[cara susanna]

I've only gotten one from the actual journal editor (not counting ones given to me by faculty members), so yes

Most faculty I know who get a lot tend to farm them out to grad students.

 

[clinicalpsyapp]

This thread came at the perfect time! I recently submitted an article to a highly selective journal. My manuscript was rejected without peer review. In the last 2 weeks, I have gotten 3 requests to review for that journal. 2 were right in my area of interest, and because I was flattered, I accepted those requests. But today I received a third request that was a little outside my area so I declined. I'm not really sure what I'll do from this point on. Does anyone know if there's some type of guideline for how many to review per month or journal, etc.?

 

[psypsypsy]

I've been told by faculty that the general rule of thumb is that for every article you submit, you should review 3 articles (i.e. the same number of reviews you got). That's sort of the pay it forward motto. If you're publishing at a really heavy rate, that might not be possible, but I've been told that by multiple faculty, not knowing what the others said.