Aha! Found it - now that I have multiple employees (well, there are just two of us) the 'Research' option has disappeared from the main menu and now appears under a menu I get from clicking on my character:
It seems that it's possible to get each of your multiple employees to research different game elements simultaneously, so while I am researching branching stories, my other employee(s) can be researching something else... like stereo sounds.
I guarantee that this is not an exhaustive list, but it's a start. Feel free to edit if you find any more bonuses to add.
New Topic - Create a game using a topic you haven't used previously
New Combo - Create a game using a topic/ genre combo you haven't used previously
Great Combo - Create a game with a topic/ genre combo that is "great" (common sense combinations like Fantasy/RPG)
Trend Match - Create a game that matches the random "market trend" event. These suggest you to develop a game that meets a certain criterion (genre, topic, audience, etc.)
Good Management - When you are developing a medium or large project (by yourself or with the help of a publisher), you have to assign employees to different parts of the game (engine, AI, graphics, etc). If you don't push any employees beyond 100% effort, you will earn this bonus.
Best Answer
Click any where around your office and pick "Develop New Game..." option. Don't click your character or any of your staff members since that will open their personal menu. You can do resarch or train your staff or yourself from personal menus.