# Development reference

This reference contains the contributor path, the forward plan, the durable cross-module decisions
that constrain it, how fast tests and validation studies divide the work, and the strategy used to benchmark
statistical methods. It is part of the documentation build but is not the beginner path. Current
behavior is determined by code and tests. A roadmap entry becomes a release claim only when its
implementation and its evidence gates land.

Start at [contributing](contributing.md) to set up the project and to choose the checks your change
needs. Read [pull requests](pull-requests.md) before you open one. Read
[releases](releases.md) before you change a version or create a tag.

```{toctree}
:maxdepth: 2

Contributing <contributing>
Pull requests <pull-requests>
Releases <releases>
Example notebooks <example-notebooks>
Release notes template <release-notes-template>
Roadmap <../roadmap>
Architecture invariants <../architecture-invariants>
Fast tests and validation studies <testing-strategy>
Method benchmarking strategy <method-benchmarking>
```