diff --git a/dnet-ariadneplus-graphdb-publisher/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/ariadneplus/reader/utils/ESUtils.java b/dnet-ariadneplus-graphdb-publisher/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/ariadneplus/reader/utils/ESUtils.java
index 6acf8d2..d28524d 100644
--- a/dnet-ariadneplus-graphdb-publisher/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/ariadneplus/reader/utils/ESUtils.java
+++ b/dnet-ariadneplus-graphdb-publisher/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/ariadneplus/reader/utils/ESUtils.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package eu.dnetlib.ariadneplus.reader.utils;
 
 import java.time.LocalDate;
+import java.time.Year;
 import java.time.ZoneId;
 import java.time.ZonedDateTime;
 import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
@@ -20,10 +21,7 @@ public class ESUtils {
             .appendPattern(" yyyy")
             .toFormatter(Locale.ROOT);
     private static DateTimeFormatter yearOnlyDateFormatter = new DateTimeFormatterBuilder()
-            .appendPattern("yyyy")
-            .parseDefaulting(ChronoField.MONTH_OF_YEAR, 1)
-            .parseDefaulting(ChronoField.DAY_OF_MONTH, 1)
-            .toFormatter();
+            .appendPattern("yyyy").toFormatter();
 
     public static String getESFormatDate(String originalDate)  {
         try{
@@ -31,22 +29,26 @@ public class ESUtils {
             return parsedDate.format(elasticSearchDateFormatter);
         } catch(Exception e){
             try {
-                LocalDate parsedDate = LocalDate.parse(originalDate, originalRecordDateFormatter);
-                return parsedDate.format(elasticSearchDateFormatter);
-            } catch (Exception e1) {
+                Year year = Year.parse(originalDate);
+                return year.format(yearOnlyDateFormatter);
+            } catch (Exception e0) {
                 try {
-                    LocalDate parsedDate = LocalDate.parse(originalDate.substring(0, 10), elasticSearchDateFormatter);
+                    LocalDate parsedDate = LocalDate.parse(originalDate, originalRecordDateFormatter);
                     return parsedDate.format(elasticSearchDateFormatter);
-                } catch (Exception e2) {
+                } catch (Exception e1) {
                     try {
-                        return parseBST(originalDate);
-                    } catch (Exception e3) {
-                        return "0000";
+                        LocalDate parsedDate = LocalDate.parse(originalDate.substring(0, 10), elasticSearchDateFormatter);
+                        return parsedDate.format(elasticSearchDateFormatter);
+                    } catch (Exception e2) {
+                        try {
+                            return parseBST(originalDate);
+                        } catch (Exception e3) {
+                            return "0000";
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
         }
-
     }
 
     private static String parseBST(String BSTDate) {
diff --git a/dnet-ariadneplus-graphdb-publisher/test/java/eu/dnetlib/ariadneplus/reader/utils/ESUtilsTest.java b/dnet-ariadneplus-graphdb-publisher/test/java/eu/dnetlib/ariadneplus/reader/utils/ESUtilsTest.java
index f05e5b5..804d0be 100644
--- a/dnet-ariadneplus-graphdb-publisher/test/java/eu/dnetlib/ariadneplus/reader/utils/ESUtilsTest.java
+++ b/dnet-ariadneplus-graphdb-publisher/test/java/eu/dnetlib/ariadneplus/reader/utils/ESUtilsTest.java
@@ -20,4 +20,25 @@ public class ESUtilsTest {
         String parsed =  ESUtils.getESFormatDate(date);
         Assert.assertEquals(parsed, "2020-05-15");
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testYearDate(){
+        String date = "2012";
+        String parsed =  ESUtils.getESFormatDate(date);
+        Assert.assertEquals(parsed, "2012");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testEmtyDate(){
+        String date = "";
+        String parsed =  ESUtils.getESFormatDate(date);
+        Assert.assertEquals(parsed, "0000");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testErrorDate(){
+        String date = "????";
+        String parsed =  ESUtils.getESFormatDate(date);
+        Assert.assertEquals(parsed, "0000");
+    }
 }