Im curious on how much time others spend on research?
As much as how much they want to know. Big amounts investments should always spend long time doing researches. For small amounts investments it's like gambling so doesn't need a very long time before taking decision to buy.
I make a positive or negative decision after 2, 3-fold return to the analysis. I like to record my thoughts and analysis on paper. On some proposals for buying the decision has not yet been accepted (and it's been 2.5 weeks already).
You spend a very long time!!! If it goes well, you may hire for a team to manage your investment

To take a decision for investing in the project is a very crucial part, you have to properly analyze every aspect of the project specially whitepaper & do research about their team members background, experience through different social platforms like LinkedIn. The team is very important as they are going to enhance/build the project in future & so they should be capable to handle the project & won't going to stop working on the project after collecting the funds through ICO & make sure they won't scam. Once you are researching the project you also should check if their source code is available on GitHub or not & their blockchain explorer is running or not. It's up to every investor how much time they take to research & make a final decision to invest in the project or not, as every person is having a different set of mind.
I think you well resumed all what you have to know in researches before ordering to buy. But, did all crypto investors make their own researches before every buy order?