diff --git a/src/GUI_UIs/ui_manage_references.ui b/src/GUI_UIs/ui_manage_references.ui
index 9439c423..83d42502 100644
--- a/src/GUI_UIs/ui_manage_references.ui
+++ b/src/GUI_UIs/ui_manage_references.ui
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
      <widget class="QPushButton" name="pushButton_delete_ref">
       <property name="geometry">
        <rect>
-        <x>560</x>
+        <x>600</x>
         <y>8</y>
         <width>30</width>
         <height>30</height>
@@ -133,22 +133,6 @@
        <string/>
       </property>
      </widget>
-     <widget class="QPushButton" name="pushButton_delete_unused_refs">
-      <property name="geometry">
-       <rect>
-        <x>600</x>
-        <y>8</y>
-        <width>30</width>
-        <height>30</height>
-       </rect>
-      </property>
-      <property name="toolTip">
-       <string>Delete all references that are not assigned to files</string>
-      </property>
-      <property name="text">
-       <string/>
-      </property>
-     </widget>
      <widget class="QPushButton" name="pushButton_edit_ref">
       <property name="geometry">
        <rect>
@@ -201,6 +185,22 @@ Review after applying the function.</string>
        <string/>
       </property>
      </widget>
+     <widget class="QPushButton" name="pushButton_export">
+      <property name="geometry">
+       <rect>
+        <x>530</x>
+        <y>8</y>
+        <width>30</width>
+        <height>30</height>
+       </rect>
+      </property>
+      <property name="toolTip">
+       <string>Export references</string>
+      </property>
+      <property name="text">
+       <string/>
+      </property>
+     </widget>
     </widget>
    </item>
   </layout>
@@ -215,7 +215,6 @@ Review after applying the function.</string>
   <tabstop>pushButton_edit_ref</tabstop>
   <tabstop>pushButton_import</tabstop>
   <tabstop>pushButton_delete_ref</tabstop>
-  <tabstop>pushButton_delete_unused_refs</tabstop>
  </tabstops>
  <resources/>
  <connections/>
diff --git a/src/qualcoder/GUI/ui_manage_references.py b/src/qualcoder/GUI/ui_manage_references.py
index ed462bfc..9b3722c2 100644
--- a/src/qualcoder/GUI/ui_manage_references.py
+++ b/src/qualcoder/GUI/ui_manage_references.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Form implementation generated from reading ui file 'C:\Users\salom\Downloads\r6\_ui_backup_20260826_012531\ui_manage_references.ui'
+# Form implementation generated from reading ui file 'ui_manage_references.ui'
 #
 # Created by: PyQt6 UI code generator 6.10.2
 #
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def setupUi(self, Dialog_manage_references):
         self.checkBox_hide_refs.setGeometry(QtCore.QRect(20, 40, 301, 23))
         self.checkBox_hide_refs.setObjectName("checkBox_hide_refs")
         self.pushButton_delete_ref = QtWidgets.QPushButton(parent=self.groupBox)
-        self.pushButton_delete_ref.setGeometry(QtCore.QRect(560, 8, 30, 30))
+        self.pushButton_delete_ref.setGeometry(QtCore.QRect(600, 8, 30, 30))
         self.pushButton_delete_ref.setText("")
         self.pushButton_delete_ref.setObjectName("pushButton_delete_ref")
         self.pushButton_link = QtWidgets.QPushButton(parent=self.groupBox)
@@ -55,10 +55,6 @@ def setupUi(self, Dialog_manage_references):
         self.pushButton_unlink_files.setGeometry(QtCore.QRect(410, 8, 30, 30))
         self.pushButton_unlink_files.setText("")
         self.pushButton_unlink_files.setObjectName("pushButton_unlink_files")
-        self.pushButton_delete_unused_refs = QtWidgets.QPushButton(parent=self.groupBox)
-        self.pushButton_delete_unused_refs.setGeometry(QtCore.QRect(600, 8, 30, 30))
-        self.pushButton_delete_unused_refs.setText("")
-        self.pushButton_delete_unused_refs.setObjectName("pushButton_delete_unused_refs")
         self.pushButton_edit_ref = QtWidgets.QPushButton(parent=self.groupBox)
         self.pushButton_edit_ref.setGeometry(QtCore.QRect(450, 8, 30, 30))
         self.pushButton_edit_ref.setText("")
@@ -71,6 +67,10 @@ def setupUi(self, Dialog_manage_references):
         self.pushButton_auto_link.setGeometry(QtCore.QRect(490, 8, 30, 30))
         self.pushButton_auto_link.setText("")
         self.pushButton_auto_link.setObjectName("pushButton_auto_link")
+        self.pushButton_export = QtWidgets.QPushButton(parent=self.groupBox)
+        self.pushButton_export.setGeometry(QtCore.QRect(530, 8, 30, 30))
+        self.pushButton_export.setText("")
+        self.pushButton_export.setObjectName("pushButton_export")
         self.gridLayout.addWidget(self.groupBox, 4, 0, 1, 1)
 
         self.retranslateUi(Dialog_manage_references)
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ def setupUi(self, Dialog_manage_references):
         Dialog_manage_references.setTabOrder(self.pushButton_unlink_files, self.pushButton_edit_ref)
         Dialog_manage_references.setTabOrder(self.pushButton_edit_ref, self.pushButton_import)
         Dialog_manage_references.setTabOrder(self.pushButton_import, self.pushButton_delete_ref)
-        Dialog_manage_references.setTabOrder(self.pushButton_delete_ref, self.pushButton_delete_unused_refs)
 
     def retranslateUi(self, Dialog_manage_references):
         _translate = QtCore.QCoreApplication.translate
@@ -94,7 +93,6 @@ def retranslateUi(self, Dialog_manage_references):
         self.pushButton_delete_ref.setToolTip(_translate("Dialog_manage_references", "Delete selected reference"))
         self.pushButton_link.setToolTip(_translate("Dialog_manage_references", "Link selected files to selected reference"))
         self.pushButton_unlink_files.setToolTip(_translate("Dialog_manage_references", "Unlink selected files from references"))
-        self.pushButton_delete_unused_refs.setToolTip(_translate("Dialog_manage_references", "Delete all references that are not assigned to files"))
         self.pushButton_edit_ref.setToolTip(_translate("Dialog_manage_references", "Edit reference"))
         self.pushButton_import.setToolTip(_translate("Dialog_manage_references", "Import references. RIS or NBIB (PubMed) format."))
         self.pushButton_auto_link.setToolTip(_translate("Dialog_manage_references", "Automatically link references to unassigned file names.\n"
@@ -102,3 +100,14 @@ def retranslateUi(self, Dialog_manage_references):
 "Strong matches with 70% or more matching words are linked.\n"
 "Linking may be incorrect.\n"
 "Review after applying the function."))
+        self.pushButton_export.setToolTip(_translate("Dialog_manage_references", "Export references"))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    import sys
+    app = QtWidgets.QApplication(sys.argv)
+    Dialog_manage_references = QtWidgets.QDialog()
+    ui = Ui_Dialog_manage_references()
+    ui.setupUi(Dialog_manage_references)
+    Dialog_manage_references.show()
+    sys.exit(app.exec())
diff --git a/src/qualcoder/manage_references.py b/src/qualcoder/manage_references.py
index d7afe1f9..78acf9f5 100644
--- a/src/qualcoder/manage_references.py
+++ b/src/qualcoder/manage_references.py
@@ -23,11 +23,12 @@
 
 import datetime
 import os
+from pathlib import Path
 from rispy import TAG_KEY_MAPPING
 import logging
 from operator import itemgetter
 from PyQt6 import QtWidgets, QtCore, QtGui
-import qtawesome as qta
+import qtawesome as qta  # see: https://pictogrammers.com/library/mdi/
 import re
 from shutil import copyfile
 import webbrowser
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@
 from .GUI.ui_manage_references import Ui_Dialog_manage_references
 from .confirm_delete import DialogConfirmDelete
 from .information import DialogInformation
-from .helpers import Message, extract_epub_fulltext
+from .helpers import Message, extract_epub_fulltext, ExportDirectoryPathDialog
 from .pdf_preview import DialogPdfPreview
 from .manage_references_import import ATTACHMENT_EXTENSIONS, existing_reference_signatures, \
     reference_signature
@@ -113,12 +114,10 @@ def __init__(self, app_, parent_text_edit):
         self.ui.pushButton_edit_ref.pressed.connect(self.edit_reference)
         self.ui.pushButton_delete_ref.setIcon(qta.icon('mdi6.delete-outline', options=[{'scale_factor': 1.4}]))
         self.ui.pushButton_delete_ref.pressed.connect(self.delete_reference)
-        self.ui.pushButton_delete_unused_refs.setIcon(
-            qta.icon('mdi6.file-document-remove-outline', options=[{'scale_factor': 1.4}]))
-        self.ui.pushButton_delete_unused_refs.setEnabled(False)
-        self.ui.pushButton_delete_unused_refs.hide()
         self.ui.pushButton_auto_link.setIcon(qta.icon('mdi6.magic-staff', options=[{'scale_factor': 1.4}]))
         self.ui.pushButton_auto_link.pressed.connect(self.auto_link_files_to_references)
+        self.ui.pushButton_export.setIcon(qta.icon('mdi6.export', options=[{'scale_factor': 1.4}]))
+        self.ui.pushButton_export.pressed.connect(self.export_references)
 
         self.get_data()
         self.ui.tableWidget_refs.setTabKeyNavigation(False)
@@ -753,7 +752,6 @@ def add_fields(self):
             return
         cur = self.app.conn.cursor()
         for s in selection:
-            print(s)
             short_tag, long_tag = s['name'].split(": ")
             cur.execute("insert into ris (risid,tag,longtag, value) values(?,?,?,'')", [int(ris_id), short_tag, long_tag])
             self.app.conn.commit()
@@ -761,6 +759,36 @@ def add_fields(self):
         self.app.delete_backup = False
         self._emit_project_table_changes(['attribute_type'])
 
+    def export_references(self):
+        """ Export references to .ris file. """
+
+        exp_directory = ExportDirectoryPathDialog(self.app, "QC_references.ris")
+        filepath = exp_directory.filepath
+        if filepath is None:
+            return
+        lines = []
+        cur = self.app.conn.cursor()
+        cur.execute("select distinct risid from ris order by risid asc")
+        ris_ids = cur.fetchall()
+        for ris_id in ris_ids:
+            # First RIS key value is TY
+            cur.execute("SELECT value from ris where tag='TY' and risid=?", [ris_id[0]])
+            ty = cur.fetchone()
+            if ty:
+                lines.append(f"TY  - {ty[0]}")
+            else:
+                lines.append("TY  - JOUR")  # JOUR a default value
+            cur.execute("SELECT tag,value from ris where tag != 'TY' and risid=?", [ris_id[0]])
+            res = cur.fetchall()
+            for r in res:
+                lines.append(f"{r[0]}  - {r[1]}")
+            lines.append("ER  - ")  # End record
+        with open(filepath, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+            for line in lines:
+                print(line, file=f)
+        self.parent_text_edit.append(_("References exported: ") + filepath)
+        Message(self.app, _("References exported"), filepath).exec()
+
     def import_references(self):
         """
         Asks for the source (file or Zotero) and launches the matching importer. File imports