Q: What should I do if my paper has been under review for more than 120 days?
My paper has been showing the status "Under Review" for more than 120 days. Is this normal?
Peer review is generally the most time-taking part of the journal decision making process, and it usually takes anywhere between 2-4 months on an average. In fact, in certain fields, it can take even longer. However, I would recommend that you send an email to the editor asking by when you can expect the peer review to be completed. That way, the editor might also send a reminder to the reviewers and the process can perhaps be expedited.
You can find a template on how to write an inquiry to the journal editor in this article:
How do I write an inquiry to the editor about my manuscript's current status?
You might also like to read the following post:
What should I do if the review process is delayed and the editor is unresponsive?
This content belongs to the Journal submission & peer review Stage