Andrej Rahten’s research work is primarily devoted to writing political biographies. His doctoral dissertation, dedicated to the long‑standing leader of Carinthian Slovenes, Dr Janko Brejc, already indicated that biography would become his main field of interest. It was followed by numerous biographical studies, both in the form of scholarly articles and monographs. His scholarly‑critical studies of the memoirs of Slovenian politicians and diplomats also fall within this biographical field.

Rahten is likewise regarded as a specialist in diplomatic history, which is reflected institutionally in his almost twenty‑year leadership of the Coordinating Committee for Research on Diplomatic History, which oversees the series Studia diplomatica Slovenica.

In recent years he has devoted considerable attention to translating his work, with his books and studies so far published in German, English, French, Croatian, Hungarian, and Russian. His standard work on Anton Korošec is currently being translated into Serbian.

• Tischler: življenjska pot vodilnega politika in šolnika koroških Slovencev. Celovec: Mohorjeva družba, 2025.
• V prah strti prestol: slovensko dojemanje habsburške dinastije v postimperialni dobi. Celje; Ljubljana: Celjska Mohorjeva družba: Društvo Mohorjeva družba, 2023.
• Anton Korošec: slovenski državnik kraljeve Jugoslavije. Ljubljana: Cankarjeva založba, 2022.
• Po razpadu skupne države : slovensko-avstrijska razhajanja od mariborskega prevrata do koroškega plebiscita. Celje: Celjska Mohorjeva družba: Društvo Mohorjeva družba; Celovec: Mohorjeva družba; Gorica: Goriška Mohorjeva družba, 2020.
• Med Kakanijo in Wilsonio : poklicne in politične preizkušnje Hansa Schwegla alias Ivana Švegla, (Studia Diplomatica Slovenica, Personae, 5). 1. izd. Celovec; Ljubljana; Dunaj: Mohorjeva založba, 2018.
• Od Majniške deklaracije do habsburške detronizacije : slovenska politika v času zadnjega habsburškega vladarja Karla. Celje; Ljubljana: Celjska Mohorjeva družba: Društvo Mohorjeva družba, 2016.
• Prestolonaslednikova smrt : po sledeh slovenskih interpretacij sarajevskega atentata. 1. izd. Ljubljana: Cankarjeva založba, 2014 (razširjeni prevod v hrvaščino: Zagreb, Tragovi prošlosti, 2024; prevod v nemščino: Zagreb, Tragovi prošlosti, 2024).
• Ivan Šusteršič : der ungekrönte Herzog von Krain : die slowenische katolische Bewegung zwischen trialistischem Reformkonzept und jugoslawischer Staatsidee, (Studien zur Geschichte der österreichisch-ungarischen Monarchie, Bd 32). Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2012.
• Izidor Cankar : diplomat dveh Jugoslavij, (Zbirka Studia diplomatica Slovenica, Personae, 2). [Mengeš]: Center za evropsko prihodnost; [Ljubljana]: Znanstvenoraziskovalni center Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti, 2009.
• Zavezništva in delitve: razvoj slovensko-hrvaških političnih odnosov u habsburški monarhiji 1848-1918, Ljubljana: Nova revija, 2005 (hrvaški prevod: Zagreb: Golden marketing - Tehnička knjiga, 2008).
• Pozabljeni slovenski premier : politična biografija dr. Janka Brejca (1869-1934), (Studia Carinthiaca, knj. 20). Celovec; Ljubljana; Dunaj: Mohorjeva založba, cop. 2002. 

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• Hungarica in the collection of the Maribor Regional Archives, branches of the Ljubljana Historical Archives, and the Manuscript Collection of the Slovene National and University Library (research project • March 1, 2024 - February 28, 2027)
• Legacy of Joško Tischler (target research project • October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025)
• Bourgeois Art Commissions in Carniola and Styria in the 19th and the First Half of the 20th Century (October 1, 2021 - September 30, 2024)
• Postimperialne tranzicije in transformacije iz lokalne perspektive: slovenska mejna območja med dvojno monarhijo in nacionalnimi državami (1918-1923) (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2022)
• Refugees - a never ending story (fundamental research project • May 1, 2017 - April 30, 2020)
• Social and identity mobility in the Slovenian territory between the late Middle Ages and the disintegration of the Habsburg Monarchy (fundamental research project • January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2018)
• Bled: zibelka diplomacije (marketing project • September 1, 2017 - December 31, 2018)
• First World War: a historical memory and an admonishment (research project • January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2014)
• Slovenians and the formation of modern European boundaries (target research project • October 1, 2010 - October 31, 2011)

• University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts: lectures on world, Balkan and Slovenian history
• Diplomatic Academy of the Minstry of Foreign and European Affairs: lectures on world and Slovenian history

• 2002 - ZRC Golden emblem
• 2017 - Goldener Rathausmann of the City of Vienna
• 2020 - Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for services to the Republic of Austria
• 2022 - Klio award granted by the Historical Association of Slovenia for the years 2020 and 2021 for the monograph »Po razpadu skupne države : slovensko-avstrijska razhajanja od mariborskega prevrata do koroškega plebiscita. Celje : Celjska Mohorjeva družba : Društvo Mohorjeva družba ; Celovec : Mohorjeva družba ; Gorica : Goriška Mohorjeva družba, 2020.

• Chair of the Coordinating Committee for Research on Diplomatic History
• Member of the Senate of the Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor
• Member of the Habilitation Committee of the Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor
• Member of the editorial board of Časopis za suvremenu povijest
• Member of the editorial board of Pilar: časopis za društvene i humanističke studije
• Editor‑in‑chief of the book series Studia diplomatica Slovenica
• Member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy
• Member of the editorial board of Studia Historica Slovenica