# Stage Handoff Contract

Stage handoffs preserve what a downstream stage inherits and what remains uncertain.

## Canonical Path

- `RESEARCH/[topic]/context/stage_handoff.md`

## Required Sections

- `Completed Artifacts`
- `Decision Summary`
- `Unresolved Questions`
- `Evidence Dependencies`
- `Assumptions Passed Forward`
- `Risks For Next Stage`
- `Recommended Next Tasks`

## Rules

- Link every completed artifact using a concrete `RESEARCH/[topic]/...` path or project-relative path.
- Record unresolved questions explicitly; write `None` only when the stage has been checked.
- Evidence dependencies should point to the evidence ledger, bibliography, analysis output, or gap note.
- Do not treat a stage as ready for downstream work when inherited assumptions are hidden.
