def get_pub_id(title, authors, year):
    """construct publication id"""
    if len(title.split(' ')) > 1 and title.split(' ')[0].lower() in ['the', 'a'
        ]:
        _first_word = title.split(' ')[1].split('_')[0]
    else:
        _first_word = title.split(' ')[0].split('_')[0]
    pub_id = authors[0].split(',')[0].split(' ')[0] + _first_word + str(year)
    return pub_id
