diff --git a/scoap3/articles/api/views.py b/scoap3/articles/api/views.py
index d41819ae2..96365bfbe 100644
--- a/scoap3/articles/api/views.py
+++ b/scoap3/articles/api/views.py
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         "article_identifiers.identifier_value",
     )
 
-    ordering_fields = {"_updated_at": "_updated_at"}
-    ordering = ["-_updated_at"]
+    ordering_fields = {"publication_date": "publication_date"}
+    ordering = ["publication_date"]
 
     filter_fields = {
         "publication_year": {
diff --git a/scoap3/articles/tests/test_article_views.py b/scoap3/articles/tests/test_article_views.py
index c86b2d2ca..8b8eef3c7 100644
--- a/scoap3/articles/tests/test_article_views.py
+++ b/scoap3/articles/tests/test_article_views.py
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ def test_create_article_from_workflow(self, client, user, shared_datadir):
             == "The Effective QCD Running Coupling Constant and a Dirac Model for the Charmonium Spectrum"
         )
 
-    def test_create_article_from_workflow_with_large_text(self, client, user, shared_datadir):
+    def test_create_article_from_workflow_with_large_text(
+        self, client, user, shared_datadir
+    ):
         client.force_login(user)
         contents = (shared_datadir / "workflow_record_with_large_text.json").read_text()
         data = json.loads(contents)
diff --git a/ui/src/components/search/SearchResults.tsx b/ui/src/components/search/SearchResults.tsx
index 90a745a98..870fc38a9 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/search/SearchResults.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/search/SearchResults.tsx
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ const SearchResults: React.FC<SearchResultsProps> = ({
   const sortOptions = [
     {
       label: "Most recent",
-      value: "_updated_at",
+      value: "-publication_date",
     },
     {
       label: "Least recent",
-      value: "-_updated_at",
+      value: "publication_date",
     },
   ];
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ const SearchResults: React.FC<SearchResultsProps> = ({
                 options={sortOptions}
                 className="sort-dropdown ml-3"
                 onChange={sortResults}
-                defaultValue="_updated_at"
+                defaultValue="-publication_date"
               >
                 <Select.OptGroup>
                   <DownOutlined />