research, leaders & wonders ?

[Kliemann]

Thought, I was a halfways decent SMAX-player, but Civ3...I just don`t seem to get it, yet.
Even on warlord the AI seems to out-research me all the time. Anybody any ideas on how to research a wee bit faster ? (Suppose, there are a few threads here in the forum, but unfortunately I just don`t have the time at the mo to browse around.)
How do you get a leader ? Well, the principle is understood - my problem is just, that I don`t really understand the odds. In one of my first games, I was running around with a warrior whacking Barbarians until he was elite and eventually, I received a leader. After trying to repro this manys a time, it just doesn`t seem to happen for me. Why ?
Wonders...given my research problem, I naturally try to get my hands on the great library, but more often than not I`m just a tad too slow. Anybody got any strats on this ? (Btw, Q: how does education impact my research precisely ?)

Just realising, that my question happen to be quite...well, stupid, but as I said: I just don`t seem to have gotten the hang of Civ3, yet...

[Jaybe]

No big deal with the research: Funding, Libraries, Universities, Collosus and other commerce enhancing wonders.

Great Leaders: Base chance of 1 in 16. Improves to 1 in 12 after you've built your Heroic Epic. Chances are better if you are a militaristic civ.

The Great Library is a high priority with AI civs.

In the strategy forums there are threads on doing research.