Peer review has long been the backbone of scholarly publishing. But today, it is being asked to do more than it was ever designed to handle.
That reality sits at the heart of the newly announced theme for Peer Review Week 2026 (14–18 September):
“Peer Review Capacity: Volume, Speed and Quality.”
Rather than focusing solely on innovation or reform, this year’s theme draws attention to something more fundamental: how much the system can realistically sustain, and under what conditions.
A Theme Shaped by the Community
This was not a top-down decision. The theme emerged from a global poll that saw record participation across the scholarly ecosystem. Researchers, reviewers, editors, publishers, and librarians all contributed, reflecting a shared recognition that capacity challenges are no longer isolated; they are systemic.
With 40% of the vote, the selected theme stood well ahead of other important topics, including incentives, mentorship, and governance in peer review. The message from the community is clear: the system is under strain, and it is time to address it collectively.
More Than Just Growing Pains
It is easy to frame current challenges as temporary growing pains. But the signals suggest something deeper.
Submission volumes continue to rise. Turnaround expectations are becoming tighter. At the same time, peer review still relies heavily on a relatively small pool of contributors, many of whom volunteer their time alongside demanding academic and professional responsibilities.
The result is not always immediately visible, but it is increasingly felt across the system. Reviewers are declining invitations more frequently, while editorial teams are compelled to make faster and often more difficult triage decisions. In several fields, review cycles are lengthening, and subtle shifts in quality thresholds are emerging. These are not isolated developments; rather, they collectively signal a system that is operating close to its limits.
Rethinking What “Capacity” Means
Capacity is often interpreted as volume, or how many manuscripts can be processed. But the conversation for 2026 invites a broader perspective.
It includes:
- How editorial workflows are structured and where bottlenecks arise
- How reviewers are identified, supported, and retained over time
- How pressure for speed influences decision-making
- How technologies, including AI, can support but not replace human judgment
It also requires acknowledging that capacity is not uniform. What works for large publishers may not translate to smaller or regionally focused journals. Similarly, as research output grows across the Global South and multilingual publishing expands, new dynamics in reviewer distribution and participation are emerging.
Opening the Conversation
Peer Review Week has always been about dialogue, and this year is no different.
The 2026 theme raises questions many in the community are already grappling with:
- Can peer review scale without compromising its core purpose?
- How do we balance speed with rigor in meaningful ways?
- What does genuine support and recognition for reviewers look like?
- Where can technology make a real difference and where are its limits?
- How do regional and disciplinary differences shape these challenges?
These are not questions with simple answers. But they benefit from shared experience and collective thinking.
A Collective Effort
One of the defining strengths of Peer Review Week is that it is not owned by any single organization. It grows through participation.
Whether through webinars, blog posts, panel discussions, training sessions, or social media engagement, each contribution adds to a broader understanding of how peer review is evolving in practice.
As the initiative marks its 10th anniversary, there is also an opportunity to reflect not just on how far peer review has come, but on where it needs to go next.
The pressures on peer review are unlikely to ease anytime soon. If anything, they will continue to grow alongside global research output.
The more important question is not whether peer review can keep up, but how the scholarly community chooses to respond. Peer Review Week 2026 offers a timely space to explore that question together.