This guide, which is one in the "Exploration" series of curriculum guides intended to assist junior high and middle school industrial educators in helping their students explore diverse industrial situations and technologies used in industry, deals with research and development. The following topics are covered in the individual lessons: product identification and analysis (basic steps in creating a new product, developing a product profile, and assessing company limitations); information collection and research (types of research, steps in conducting a research project, and information sources); procedures for developing a preliminary design; techniques in selecting and refining a design; steps in specifying a design; procedures in building and testing a prototype; and steps in presenting a design for approval. The guide includes the rationale behind its development, hints to the teacher, lesson plans, student handout masters, teacher aids, a unit examination, and a list of references. The lesson plans include cross-referenced lists of objectives, lesson content, and learning activities. (MN)