I can say it depends on a lot of factors which include the team, what the project is about(whitepaper) and the roadmap too. But the first thing to consider is the team and their credentials.
I'm 100% with you on that.. The good news is, we might not need to exert too much effort in doing research soon since a decentralized ICO marketplace called Menlo.one finally has its ICO ongoing. How is this related to stopping scams? Its CEO, Matt Nolan, mentioned that they have found an effective way in helping with various issues most investors commonly face (scams) when participating in ICOs. More information on their whitepaper:
https://www.menlo.one/