A couple of questions here.. Where do you actually get to set the anchor text for your site? Most free link exchanges or directories only allow you to give the Site Name to be used as the link. Second, assuming that I can get some links with good anchor text, could someone recommend a good set of anchor links for www.researchtechs.com, it's my new website run by myself with the help couple of college friends, and I've just started to promote it.
Why don't you try the free keyword suggestion tool here at DP: http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion/
To answer the second part of your question, anchor text should be your prime keywords. So the question is not to recommend or choose anchor text. The question is to choose keywords. What you are trying to do with anchor text is indicate to the search engines what your site is about or "relevant" to. So you need to choose keywords that you use in your title and in your content and headings, and for which people will search on when looking for your site. Then use those same keywords -- two, three or even four word phrases -- as your anchor text. Now in answer to the first part of your question. You normally have control of the anchor text in most link purchases or reciprocal linking schemes. As you say, you do not have control in directories.
Some good points made here and the digitalpoint tool is good. The best way to get your achor text set is to hit the path of exchanging links. Here is some free software which can help automate the process: www.onlinemarketingtoday Hope this helps