diff --git a/app/models/event.rb b/app/models/event.rb
index 3c586ca32..32861acd4 100644
--- a/app/models/event.rb
+++ b/app/models/event.rb
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ def citation_year
   def date_published(doi)
     ## TODO: we need to make sure all the dois from other RA are indexed 
     item = Doi.where(doi: doi_from_url(doi)).first
-    item[:publication_year] if item.present? 
+    item[:publication_year].to_s if item.present? 
   end
 
   def set_defaults
diff --git a/spec/models/event_spec.rb b/spec/models/event_spec.rb
index c82c3e5f3..c4461ce07 100644
--- a/spec/models/event_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/event_spec.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
 
     it "date_published from the database" do
       published = subject.date_published("https://doi.org/"+doi.doi)
-      expect(published).to eq(2011)
+      expect(published).to eq("2011")
+      expect(published).not_to eq(2011)
     end
   end
 end