They used to have an "Account Executive" program where you could talk to a reviewer BEFORE you started work to explain what you were doing and get tips on what was eligible and what was not. I did that when I started and it was an eye opener!

The reviewer I spoke to was the one who handled all our claims, so it didn't hurt that he already knew about us. It made his job, and mine, a lot easier.

Wait... okay, found a link to the services they offer and Account Executive is still in there, plus a bunch of others...

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/txcrdt/sred-rsde/srvcs-eng.html

If you're at all uncertain about what you can/should be claiming then you should definitely talk to a SR&ED professional or use one of these services to get definitive answers from the source.