Questions on the early game...

[Bigheadmike]

Hello all,
I just found this game and I am having some troubles with getting attacked early in the game so I am wondering what I should be doing differently. This is primarily questions about how to go about researching and how I should be outfitting Colonizers/early warships/planets etc etc...
*I am playing Large Grid/low tech cost/5000 pts/1 high quality planet/low # of enemies

1) what is the best thing to do early with my research? I am generally using the first turn (with all of that extra research) to either get a whole lot of Applied Research 2 and projectile weapons 2 or I am using it to get projectile weapons/ship construction/Missiles/Propulsion and the rest into applied research, and after that just put them on repeat for a while and divide even. am I doing things terribly wrong or are there some techs that I am neglecting for the early game or what (IE What would be a good Tech "Path" for the early game)

2.) When should I start building military ships? how should I outfit them? How should I be outfitting my colonizers

3.) with respect to my early planets, should I be pumping the early ones with research stations (what I am doing right now) or should I focus more on getting some resource production out of them?

Well thanks in advance.
Mike