In Agile Foundation guidance, the product backlog is the primary artifact that provides a list of user stories, making option C the correct answer. The product backlog is a prioritized, evolving list of all the work needed to deliver and improve a product. User stories are the most common way of expressing requirements within the product backlog because they focus on user needs, value, and desired outcomes rather than detailed technical specifications.

The product backlog is owned and maintained by the product owner, who is responsible for ensuring that the backlog items are clearly defined, ordered by value, and aligned with business goals. User stories within the product backlog describe features, enhancements, fixes, and technical work from the perspective of the user or customer. This supports Agile’s emphasis on delivering value early and continuously while allowing flexibility as requirements change.

Option A, project backlog, is not a standard Agile Foundation artifact. Agile focuses on products and value streams rather than traditional project-centered task lists. Option B, project canvas, is a high-level visual planning tool used to summarize objectives, stakeholders, risks, and constraints, but it does not contain detailed user stories. Option D, release map, outlines planned releases and timelines at a high level, showing when groups of features or increments may be delivered, but it does not provide the detailed list of user stories themselves.

Agile Foundation documents highlight that the product backlog is dynamic and continuously refined through backlog refinement activities. User stories are added, removed, split, or re-prioritized based on feedback, learning, and changing business needs. This adaptability ensures that teams always work on the most valuable items first. By serving as the single, transparent source of requirements, the product backlog enables collaboration, alignment, and effective value delivery, which is why it is the correct artifact for listing user stories.