Reviewer Coordination

Guest Editors may be able to invite and coordinate reviewers for their assigned submissions. Whether the Add Reviewer button is available depends on how the journal manager has configured the Guest Editor role.

Permission varies by journal

The ability to invite reviewers is not guaranteed for all Guest Editors. If you do not see the Add Reviewer button described below, your journal has restricted that action to Section Editors or Editors. Contact the managing editor if you believe you should have this permission.

Can a Guest Editor Invite Reviewers?

Configuration	What you can do
Full reviewer access	Invite new reviewers, cancel invitations, set deadlines
Read-only reviewer access	See existing reviewer assignments but cannot add or remove
No reviewer access	Review panel is hidden; the managing editor handles all reviewer tasks

Check with your journal manager if you are unsure which configuration applies to you.

Navigating to the Review Stage

1. Open the submission from My Queue (see Accessing Assigned Submissions).
2. Click the Review tab in the workflow stage bar at the top of the page.
3. The Review stage shows the current round (Round 1, Round 2, etc.) and any reviewers already assigned.

Adding a Reviewer

If you have permission to invite reviewers:

1. In the Reviewers panel, click Add Reviewer.
2. A dialog opens with three options:

Option	When to use
Select a reviewer from the journal's reviewer list	Use for established reviewers already registered in OJS
Create a new reviewer account	Use when inviting someone not yet registered in the system
Enrol an existing user as a reviewer	Use when a registered OJS user (e.g., an author) needs to be enrolled as a reviewer

3. Search for and select the reviewer, or fill in the new reviewer form.
4. Set the Review Due Date and optionally customise the invitation email.
5. Click Add Reviewer to send the invitation.

Choosing reviewers

When selecting from the list you can filter by name, affiliation, or review interests. The list also shows each reviewer's current assignment load and historical response rate, which helps you choose available, reliable reviewers.

Monitoring Reviewer Responses

After sending invitations, the Reviewers panel shows each reviewer's current status:

Status	Meaning
Awaiting Response	Invitation sent; reviewer has not yet accepted or declined
Review Accepted	Reviewer accepted and will complete the review by the due date
Review Submitted	Reviewer has submitted their completed review
Declined	Reviewer declined the invitation
Cancelled	You or an editor cancelled the invitation
Overdue	Reviewer accepted but has not submitted by the due date

You can click the reviewer row to see the submitted review files and form responses once the review is complete.

Sending a Reminder to a Reviewer

If a review is approaching or past the due date:

1. In the Reviewers panel, click the action menu (⋮) next to the reviewer's name.
2. Select Send Reminder.
3. Edit the reminder email if needed and click Send.

note

OJS can be configured to send automated overdue reminders. Check with your journal manager before sending a manual reminder to avoid duplicate messages.

Cancelling a Reviewer Invitation

1. Click the action menu (⋮) next to the reviewer's name.
2. Select Cancel Reviewer.
3. Optionally send a cancellation email to the reviewer.
4. Click Confirm.

Cancelling removes the reviewer assignment and does not delete any files they may have uploaded.

Communicating with Reviewers via Discussion Threads

OJS keeps communication on record through discussion threads rather than direct email.

1. In the Review stage, scroll to the Review Discussions panel.
2. Click Add Discussion.
3. In the Add Discussion dialog:
   • Select the participant(s) — include the reviewer by name.
   • Enter a Subject and your message.
   • Attach any files if needed.
4. Click OK to send. The reviewer receives an email notification and can reply within OJS.

Reviewer anonymity

If the review is configured as double-blind, be careful not to include author-identifying information in discussion messages sent to reviewers.

Further Reading

• Learning OJS – Editorial Workflow — Reviewer management in the full editorial workflow
• Learning OJS – Reviewing — What reviewers experience in OJS
• PKP Community Forum — Community discussions on reviewer coordination