If you want to do research, I'd recommend an academic path. Get an MS from a reputable university. If you can't do that, try to follow their syllabus on your ow

If you want to do research, I'd recommend an academic path. Get an MS from a reputable university. If you can't do that, try to follow their syllabus on your own (textbooks, articles). MOOC are a starting point, they often offer classes with little pre-requisites, but that'll only get you so far.