Look for a file
EVE-RMR_Skilltree_v4.01r.png
It's done by Heather Skarsgard. I just got it this month as I had an old exodous one.
I planned top down approach but I discovered I wanted to try this and that, figure out how to do manufacture, research. I know it's bad for character development but I didn't quite care. At least my character is slowly gaining RP (started project with 3 research agents now and working on my 4th and 5th, unfortunately, I need to finish training electronic 5 in order to train electronics engineering).
I've done RD agent, bpo/bpc, and manufacturing as well as tons of combat (3 months of kill mission running so far). I am torn on what to do fo isk in 0.0 (mining or ratting) so that's why I have not bothered with mining barge skill yet.
If you are seriously about research, it'll take you some time to set it up. I did it because I was curious. Also, some skills are "waste" for a combat related character, some are not. The following are "waste" for combat but required for research agents
1. Science lv 5 (I ned sci 4 to use tractor beam so I don't consider science 1-4 a waste)
2. Research 1-5
3. Research project management 1-4 (not going to train to lv 5, it's a freaking rank 8 skil)
4. various rank 5 research skills such as Caldari/Gal/Min/Amar starship engineering, etc.
5. Laboratory Operations level 1-5 (pre-req for research project managment so you can have more than 1 research agent working for you)
I trained mech lv 5, engineer lv 5 already, partially for combat, partially for research so it's not exactly a waste of time. I'm almost done with electronics 5.
Research and jump clone require both personal and corporate standing so it's a pain

Do it either in npc corp or start your own and just mission grind

I think that's the biggest obstacle to research as when you look at the agents available, it tend to be lots of courier mission agents, not enough combat agents for various researching corps
Edit: forgot to include lab op