WRITING A CONCEPT PAPER

Prepared by: JALP

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 Define what a concept paper is;

 Identify situations in which a concept paper may be effectively used to improve our
society; and
 Make an outline for concept paper
CONCEPT
 Concepts is something conceived in the mind.
 are defined as abstract ideas or general notions ((a conception of or belief about something.)
that occur in the mind, in speech, or in thought.
• They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of thoughts and beliefs.

 One way of communicating a concept is by putting it on paper

 A concept paper enables us put our thoughts and ideas into paper for consideration for
research.
 As a student pursuing any course at the tertiary level, it is inevitable that before you complete
your course, you will be required to do a research paper to show that you can apply what you
have been studying in your area of specialization to a real-life situation.
 before undertaking the research, or doing your research or writing your research
paper, you will need to draft a catchy summary of what the research is about.
 This summary is what is known as a concept paper
 a concept paper is asked before a full proposal.
 A concept paper contains a “ concept. “ It contains a proposed idea. It may not be
detailed yet, but it provides a framework of an idea that can be carried out into a
proposal (and eventually , from a proposal into a full paper).
 A concept paper is a document which summarizes what your project is about, why
it is important, and how you intend to carry it out.
 It consists of the topic under research, the hypothesis that you seek to approve or
disprove, research questions, data required, and methods of obtaining it. It is
sometimes known as a proposal or an abstract.
 A research paper is usually done at the very last year or semester and is vital for the
satisfactory completion of your course.
 You as the student are required to come up with a topic of research that you find
relevant and essential to potentially solve an existing problem or answer a
controversial question in your area of study
 Depending on the research you are carrying out, your concept paper can range from
2-3 pages for a small research project to up to 20 pages for massive research projects.
 As for the formatting, the spacing should be double, the font size should be 12, and
the font style should preferably be Times New Roman.
 If you refer to any sources while drafting your concept paper, it is important that you
cite them at the end of your document or whenever the citation may be necessary for
the process of concept paper
 When presented, the concept paper should give a clear picture of what the research,
project, or feasibility study is all about.
 It clarifies from the very beginning what the purpose is and what process is necessary to
carry out that purpose. It should demonstrate the worth of the idea and its significance to
the beneficiaries.
OUTLINE OF THE PAPER

 Different academic institutions and referencesmay have different formats, therefore, you
have to choose the outline that is approved or recommended by your teacher/institution, or
one that best suits your purpose.
 Sample Outline:
 I. Objective
 II. Introduction
 III. Project Description
 IV. Methodology
 V. Timeline
 VI. Benefits
OBJECTIVE

 The objective will literally tell your reader about the goals that you want to achieve in
your research. This includes your mission of your research the tasks and outcomes you
want to achieve.
 In structuring this part, we must consider the major element of a concept paper and that is
the “ The title page”
 You should begin with a title that fully summarizes what the project you are carrying out is
about. Avoid being wordy and stick to the main point.
. Introduction
 Introduction and statement of the problem
 This serves as the most important part of the concept paper.
 You must be seeking to add value and convince the reader that you are doing so. For example,
your research should seek to solve an existing problem or provide further insights into a
scarcely researched topic.
 The problem should be clear. Why would you want to investigate the topic under study, and
how your research will be helpful in achieving this?
 Herein, you need to provide the evidence that the research you need to carry out is necessary
in that it has not been carried out before or has not been adequately done.
 Here are some questions that may help you nail this element:
 What is the problem? Why do you feel that it is important? How does your study relate to or
add to research that has already been done?
Value of the study

 Outline specific groups of people who the study may benefit and how it will benefit them.
A preliminary literature review

 A preliminary literature review You need to back up your passion for the topic under
research with solid literature that supports the topic, for example, literature that supports
the fact that further research needs to be carried out in that area.
 You need to show that there exists an information gap which your research seeks to fill.
The wider the variety of literature review you have carried out, the more solid and
convincing your concept paper will be.

 Outline citations
 Always remember to give credit to any sources you may have sourced your information
from. This can be done within the document or at the end of the concept paper.
KINDS OF CONCEPT PAPER
A concept paper may be classified into two:

 Prospective.
 Definition- expected or expecting to be something particular in the future.
 likely to happen at a future date; concerned with or applying to the future.
 A prospective concept paper is written before the research work. As what has been
discussed, a prospective concept paper is more of a proposal to conduct a research.
 A prospective study watches for outcomes.
 Being prospective, the verbs in this paper are in the future tense.
 Retrospective.
 Definition- looking back on or dealing with past events or situations
 A retrospective concept paper, on the other hand, is a concise research that has already
been conducted.
 It gives brief details on the content of a research and its main purpose is to provide readers
a rather smaller picture of a thorough research, but a larger picture of the research abstract.
 A retrospective study looks backwards and examines exposures to suspected risk or
protection factors in relation to an outcome that is established at the start of the study. 
 paper makes use of verbs in the past.
 In this kind of study, the outcome has already happened when the study is being
conducted; thus this paper makes use of verbs in the past.
TIPS IN WRITING CONCEPT PAPER
 When writing your own concept paper, keep in my mind the following tips from
http://website.aub.edu:
 1. Structure is the key. A text follows a standard format. Use the structure given by the
institution, organization or agency that you will write for.
 Your text will show your personality as obedient, diligent and responsible to the
requirements needed of you.

 2. Build your words. Writing a concept paper or any academic text in general, requires
you to create a cohesive and clear text.
 By following a format or an outline, you can slowly build your idea from vague to very
detailed explanation or description of your text.
 Your concept should not be running around the bush nor too confusing that the reader or
sponsor of your project might not want to read the whole text.
Start with the end in sight.
 Always pick up your pen or open up your laptop and start writing and researching.
 The idea is to think why do you need to finish your project and keep your goal in mind
whether you need to pass the subject, finish the course or for your own self-indulgence.

 4. Be objective. Research projects and most academic papers are objective. Therefore,
your concept paper should also be objective and straight-forward. Your emotions and
opinions towards the problem or subject of your research are not needed in this text.
 Since your concept paper is a preliminary to the real thing, it should also be objective by
keeping away from your own prejudice, opinion or emotions regarding the topic you want
to tackle.
 5. If need be, be persuasive. One of the main purposes of your concept paper is to
convince your reader that your planned work or your proposal is a matter of importance.
 Persuading your intended audience is a must in making a concept paper because you have
to use your words in making your reader that your project is worthwhile and is utmost
necessity in your chosen field of expertise.