I have been in the business for some time, am a Sr. equity analyst, with a series 6, 7, 63, yadda, yadda, yadda.
anyway, research is a very important part. there are several books out there that can help non professionals (and some professionals) get a good handle on the fundamantals that make for a good investment. I'd be happy to recommend some if anyone is interested or give an opinion/answer questions. just PM me.
Moto