diff --git a/ezidapp/models/validation.py b/ezidapp/models/validation.py
index 7f6b93c09..74e64c2be 100644
--- a/ezidapp/models/validation.py
+++ b/ezidapp/models/validation.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def publicationDate(date):
             # return ("%04d", "%04d-%02d", "%04d-%02d-%02d")[numComponents - 1] % t[:numComponents]
             return ("{:04d}", "{:04d}-{:02d}", "{:04d}-{:02d}-{:02d}")[
                 numComponents - 1
-            ].format(t[:numComponents])
+            ].format(*t[:numComponents])
         except Exception:
             pass
     raise django.core.exceptions.ValidationError(
diff --git a/tests/test_docs/datacite_metadata_01.txt b/tests/test_docs/datacite_metadata_01.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af3ee31c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_docs/datacite_metadata_01.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# For input to client testing datacite minting
+# client.py l admin mint doi:10.5072/FK2 @datacite_metadata_01.txt
+datacite.creator: Dave
+datacite.title: Test doc
+datacite.publicationyear: 1961
+datacite.resourcetype: Event
+datacite.publisher: Tester
diff --git a/tests/test_validation.py b/tests/test_validation.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1fdcfd6ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_validation.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#  Copyright©2021, Regents of the University of California
+#  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BSD
+
+"""Test ezidapp.models.validation
+"""
+
+import pytest
+
+import ezidapp.models.validation
+
+#TODO: Flesh out the test cases to match all the possibilities in the tested method
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("test,expected",[
+    ('1961', '1961'),
+    ('196104','1961-04'),
+    ('20201201', '2020-12-01'),
+])
+def test_publicationDate(test, expected):
+    res = ezidapp.models.validation.publicationDate(test)
+    assert res == expected
+