de-anthropocentric-research-engine

Purpose

DARE v4 is the product-level orchestrator for a research run. It turns a user request into a controlled sequence of North Star crystallization, executable specification, and phase-by-phase execution. It is not a scientific graph node and must not be counted among the 267 tactic/SOP nodes.

Input Contract

required: [user_request]
optional: [existing_context, north_star, research_brief, constraints]
constraints:
  - a run may start with an existing North Star only when it is explicit and user-confirmed
  - execution requires a current SpecView reconstructed from checkpoint events

Execution Protocol

DARE enforces this order and does not skip a phase:

1. North Star: if a confirmed North Star and ResearchBrief are absent, collect and crystallize them from the user request. If they are present, verify that they still describe the request.
2. Spec: You MUST load skill research-catalog to expose the available tactics. You MUST load skill write-research-spec to turn the confirmed North Star, ResearchBrief, and user constraints into an executable Research Spec. Do not execute research while this phase is incomplete.
3. Execution: after the user approves the Spec, You MUST load skill execute-research-spec to execute its phases and checkpoints. Do not select a tactic directly from the flat skill directory.

At every phase boundary, record the decision and its reason in the current Phase checkpoint event stream. A plan change is an appended decisions event, never an edit to an earlier checkpoint. The product shell may present progress, but scientific conclusions remain in tactic/SOP Delta fields.

Output Contract

produces:
  - confirmed_north_star
  - research_brief
  - spec_view
  - phase_execution_results
  - final_research_summary
state_delta_fields:
  - findings
  - evidence_updates
  - hypothesis_updates
  - assumption_updates
  - uncertainties
  - decisions
  - open_questions
  - recommended_jumps

Completion Criteria

• A confirmed North Star and ResearchBrief exist before spec construction.
• The Spec has explicit stages, inputs, tactics, completion gates, and backtrack conditions.
• Execution reaches a complete checkpoint for every required stage, or reports the first unmet gate with its evidence.
• The final summary cites the context files and checkpoints that support it.

Failure and Backtrack

Missing intent or scope blocks entry to specification and returns NEEDS_CONTEXT. An unmet completion gate keeps the current stage active. A triggered backtrack condition is presented for user confirmation and, if approved, is recorded as a new decision before execution returns to the target stage. DARE never treats an empty result, elapsed time, or an execution interruption as stage completion.

Boundary

This entry layer is installed under skills/ alongside the 267 tactic and SOP nodes. It is not a graph node, does not create a third scientific layer, and does not replace tactic or SOP contracts.