MODULE: ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Chapter 8: The Concept Paper

Objectives:
a. Explain what a concept paper is.
b. Identify the elements of an effective concept paper.
c. Explain a concept from various fields through definition, explication, and
clarification.
d. Enhance your critical thinking abilities in evaluating the content and
structure of a concept paper.
e. Write your own concept paper given a specific fields.

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Concept Paper

What is a concept paper?

“Prior to the submission of a project proposal, proponents are requested to submit
a summary of what the project is all about, the reasons for conducting the project, and
how it will be carried out.”
- This summary document is called CONCEPT PAPER
The concept paper defines an idea or a concept and explains its essence in order
to clarify the "whatness" of that idea or concept. It answers the questions: what is it and
what about it (Dadufalza 1996:183). A concept paper starts with a definition, either formal
or informal, of the term or the concept and proceeds with an expanded definition and an
analytic description of the aspects of the concept.
It also provides an overview of the project, helps funding agencies eliminate
proposals that are likely to be disapproved.

SEVERAL USES OF A CONCEPT PAPER:

1. Serves as the foundation of the full proposal.
2. It helps determine whether a certain project is feasible or not.
3. It t is used to pique the interest of the potential funding agencies.
4. It is used to obtain informal feedback on the ideas prior to preparing the full
proposal.

Three Ways in Explaining a Concept

1. DEFINITION - the method of identifying a given term and making its meaning
clearer.
Can be presented in 3 ways:
a. Formal Definitions
A formal definition consists of three parts: the term, the part of speech to which
it belongs, such as a noun or a verb, and all the traits or characteristics that are
specific to that term. The dictionary is filled with formal definitions, but it is not
the only place where you will find them. Writers often include formal definitions
when they are writing about something that may be unfamiliar to their readers.
In textbooks, you may find the formal definition of terms listed at the beginning,
at the end of a chapter, or in the glossary, which is a mini-dictionary of terms
relevant to that text.
Formal definition example:
Term: freedom
Part of speech: noun

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Definition: The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without
hindrance or restraint.

b. Informal Definitions
In an informal definition, the writer uses known words or examples to explain
an unknown term. These definitions may be synonyms or antonyms introduced
by or, in other words, or like.

Informal definition example:

Freedom, also referred to as liberty or independence, is a state people
reach when they are free to think and do whatever they please.

c. Extended Definitions
Extended definitions generally have components of both informal and formal
definitions. However, as the name suggests, the author uses a number of other
techniques to define a word, concept, or phrase, including the following:

• Listing and describing the parts: identifying smaller, more familiar pieces
of an idea to point to the definition of the bigger concept.
• Etymology: sharing a word's origin.
• Examples or anecdotes: telling a story or example that illustrates the
term.
• Negation: defining a term by explaining what the concept is not.
• Evoking the senses: using a word that creates a picture in the
reader's mind so that the reader might relate through memory of
sound, sight, touch, hearing, or smell.
• Environment or sector: pointing out how and where something is
used.
• Ramifications: showing how the term or concept affects people or
objects.
• Historical references: showing how a word has been defined
throughout history.
Extended definition example:
To our colonial forefathers, freedom meant having a voice in
their government. (Historical reference) The Revolutionary
War was a last resort against an empire that continued to tax
its colonists without the representation of the colonists in
Parliament. Since the United States won the right to rule itself,
our country has been referred to as "the land of the free and
the home of the brave." (Example) True freedom means the
ability to think, feel, say, or act however one chooses. (Listing
parts) It is a state where the bars of bondage do not
exist. (Negation) Unfortunately, the widening gap between the
haves and have nots means that some are now shackled by

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their lack of education. (evoke the senses:

shackled) Americans can attain real freedom when everyone
has the same educational opportunities.

2. EXPLICATION
Method of explanation in which sentences, verses, quotes or passages are taken
away from a literary or academic work and then interpreted and explained in a detailed
way.
The process by which abstract concepts are linked to their real world variations so
that they can be observed by appropriate methods. Logically, it involves both deductive
and inductive reasoning. It can be further divided into meaning analysis and empirical
analysis.

3. CLARIFICATION
'Points are organized (general abstract idea to specific and concrete examples.)
'Entails the analysis of the concept by looking at the examples.
Concept clarification is centrally important to theory development. While often
understood as a formula-driven task, concept clarification is really a process that engages
critical thinking. Clarification creates multiple meanings through: (1) formulating purposes,
(2) choosing, examining, and integrating data sources, and (3) representing a final
conceptualization that can also be examined for adequacy. Within each of these
processes, critical thinking is engaged as: (1) assumptions are identified and challenged,
(2) the importance of context in creating meaning is revealed, (3) alternative

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interpretations are imagined and explored, and (4) reflective skepticism is cultivated. The
central challenge in concept clarification is to understand how words create things.

Main Elements of a Concept Paper

1. Cover Page (Title page) — provides a tentative title for the dissertation. The title
of the Concept Paper should be a stand-alone statement that can fully describe
the project by summarizing the main idea of the manuscript. The title should
concisely identify the variables being investigated and the relationship among
those variables (American Psychological Association [APA], 2010). Words should
serve a useful purpose; avoid words that do not add substance or words that are
misleading. The title of the Concept Paper may become the title of the dissertation.
2. Rationale (Statement of the Problem) — provides the purpose for the research.
This section of the Concept Paper introduces the problem under investigation,
addresses why the researcher wants to investigate this problem, and how the
research findings may help address the problem. Supporting documentation,
including statistical data if available, should be used to emphasize the need for this
research. This section is one of the most important sections of the Concept Paper;
it serves to gain the reader’s attention and support. You care about the research,
but the reader may need some convincing. The first few sentences of the Concept

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Paper should intrigue the reader to pique his or her interest and encourage further
reading.
As you begin to write the problem statement of your Concept Paper, consider your
research. First consider why the problem is important. Consider how your study
relates to previous work in the field, how you will link your hypotheses and
objectives to theory, and how the hypotheses relate to the research design.
Finally, consider the theoretical and practical implications involved in your research
project (APA, 2010). A well-developed, concise, and clear problem statement will
lay the foundation for a strong Concept Paper and the dissertation that follows.
3. Preliminary Literature Review — provides identification of major literature that
supports and validates the topic. The literature review focuses on areas that offer
support for new research and offers the student an opportunity to analyze and
synthesize past research in the context of their present problem. For the Concept
Paper, the student should connect their research project to a theoretical model
reported in the literature. The most successful research projects have been based
on the research of predecessors, and this section of the Concept Paper provides
enough of a description of previous research to plant seeds in the mind of the
reader suggesting more information is needed. A strong Concept Paper is based
on a wide-range literature review that is condensed into a summary of key points.
4. Goal Statement — provides a broad or abstract intention, including the research
goals and objectives. This part of the Concept Paper tells the reader “who, what,
and when” regarding the research goal.
5. Research Questions — provides a preliminary view of the questions the student
will investigate. Questions are based on theory, past research, and need. These
questions will direct the research methodology; their inclusion in the Concept
Paper links the research problem with the methodology. For some, composing the
research questions may be the most difficult part of the research project, or
possibly the most difficult aspect of writing the Concept Paper. The questions will
direct everything that will be done; therefore, it is important that they are focused
to the main research problem. These research questions will specifically direct the
research and the type of analyses conducted; as such, their compatibility is
essential.
6. An Abridged Methodology — provides the student’s best idea on how to conduct
the research and analyze the data. The goals identified in previous sections of the
Concept Paper should relate to the research methods described in this section.
For the Concept Paper, the methodology is simplified or summarized, serving as
a general outline of the methods that will be employed.
7. Timeline — provides a range of time for completion of the project, highlighting key
elements for each stage of the project. This element is unique to the Concept
Paper and provides the student structure for managing sections of the project
within a realistic time frame.
8. References — provides references to the material cited in the literature review
and elsewhere in the Concept Paper.

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Guidelines in Writing a Concept

1. A concept paper usually ranges from 500-2000 words and is divided into several
parts.
2. Cost and methodology should be reasonable.
3. The budget, methodology, and timeline should be clearly aligned.
4. Use statistics and figures when discussing the rationale for the project.
5. Use no more than five pages excluding cover page.
6. Never request funding for planning the proposal 6. Adjust your language to the
intended readers.
7. Include the overview of the budget if it is required.
8. Be sure that basic format details, such as page numbers, are incorporated.
9. Cite your references.

For further reading please refer to the link provided:

How to Write a Concept Paper
• https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Concept-Paper
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmVfgWQ2Alg
Comprehensive Guide in making a Concept Paper with Example
• https://kami.com.ph/84093-concept-paper-write-a-
comprehensive-guide-2020.html

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Book
Saqueton, Grace M. & Uychangco, Marikit Tara A. 2016
English for Academic & Professional Purposes.
Quezon City: REX book Store Inc. REX Knowledge Center.

Online Source
https://www.facebook.com/englishforacademicandprofessionalpurposes/p
osts/writing-a-concept-paper/1255812504530685/

CHAPTER 8: THE CONCEPT PAPER 8