Q: What is the acceptance percentage of an Under Review article?

You have three questions. Let’s take them one by one.

Has your manuscript cleared the initial process?

The thing is, ‘Under Review’ can mean different things with different journals. With some, it refers to the internal (journal) review; with others, it refers to the peer review. As about 40 days have passed from the time of the submission to the time of the status change, it probably means that your article has been sent for peer review. To be absolutely certain of this though, you could wait for the next status update (which could be a while) or you could mail the editor. :-)

Will your article be accepted?

One can’t say this only by a change of status, whether quick or slow. This also depends on factors such as the novelty of the research, the quality of the writing, the fit with the journal’s scope, and adherence to the journal’s guidelines. What can be said though is that review articles are typically more likely to be accepted if they have been solicited/commissioned by the journal rather than being submitted by the researcher. However, during a time like the present, when the COVID-19 crisis has compelled most researchers to switch to secondary research, journal doors might be more open to unsolicited papers. Again, you could wait and watch.

What is the acceptance percentage of an Under Review article?

Basis the points made earlier, one can’t really ascribe a percentage of acceptance to a mere status.

For a better understanding of the various points discussed above, you may go through the following resources:

• Does "Under Review" mean that the paper has passed the editorial check?
• Editorial decision-making: what are the possible outcomes for a manuscript?

To write to journals, you may also find this handbook helpful: A practical handbook of templates for communicating with the journal

Hope that helps. All the best for the next stages!