CONCEPT PAPERS

What are concept papers?

Concept papers are summaries of projects or issues that reflect the interests, experience and
expertise of the writer or organization. It may also be used as an instructional tool that may have
developed as a result of extensive research, committee input and/or as a result of the outcome of
a current project.
In addition, a concept paper could also discuss best practices, philosophies and other related
issues that the writer believes action should be taken on in the near future.

Purpose: Provide an in-depth discussion of a topic that the writer has a strong position on
(usually with the intent of obtaining funding for that project from donors).

The terms "concept paper" and "proposal" are often used interchangeably used because they can
have the same function.

Elements of a Concept Paper

1. Title (usually in a form of question)
2. A brief overview of the research topic, including a summary of what is already known about
that topic.
3. A brief statement of the research question that the project will seek to answer. (Usually done
in one or two sentences)
4. An explanation of why this research question is important and why this project is worth
writing.
5. A description on how the methods that the researchers plan to use answer the research
question.

RESEARCH CONCEPT PAPER

The Concept Paper lays the foundation for the applied dissertation process, providing an
introductory form of communication between the doctoral student and the doctoral committee.
Essentially, the Concept Paper acts as a tentative proposal; it allows the doctoral student the
opportunity to define a research focus and obtain early feedback on the research idea.
Structure of a Research Concept Paper
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.

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 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.

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.

Goal Statement
Provides 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.

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.

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.

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.

References
Provides references to the material cited in the literature review and elsewhere in the
Concept Paper.

How to Write Concept Papers

Concept Papers with the intent of receiving funding:
l Follow the guidelines published by the grantors (if there are any) that instruct the writer(s)
on how to write the concept paper that they will consider funding.
n Most are consistent between organizations.
l Writer are suggested to develop "boilerplates" or standard templates of concept papers that
they can personalize and submit based on specific guidelines.
n This practice eliminates the extra time added to the process by completely starting a new
concept paper from the beginning each time.
Concept papers used as an instructional or educational tool:
l Similar format with the exception of the exclusion of charts, graphs or budgets that may be
geared toward the solicitation of funding.

Steps in Writing Concept Papers

1. Ensure that the mission, requirements, funding patterns and other specific information
about the target grantor or audience match with those of the organization or individual
project in need of funding or assistance. Grantors are very specific about what types of
organizations and projects they do and do not fund so; it is important to understand that
thoroughly in advance to avoid wasting time.
2. Summarize the project by stating the problem to be discussed/solved, the goal of the
project, the objectives, the anticipated outcomes, procedures for determining whether the
goals and objectives have been achieved, the population served and the theoretical model
upon which the project is based.
3. Develop a list of references that discuss the model to which the project will be directed.
4. If applicable, develop a budget. This would include all billable costs associated with
planning and executing the project. Whether the concept paper is for the purpose of
obtaining funding or merely for the purpose of conveying information, a budget may be
necessary if there are costs and resources associated with the project, such as hours devoted
to research and information gathering.
5. Obtaining the necessary approvals by individuals authorized to do so prior to
submission. In the case of a purely informational concept paper, this may be committee
input. This step may occur much earlier in the process. In addition, one must consider the
timing and deadlines that submission of the concept paper must adhere to. Expect deadlines
to be strict whether funding is being sought or not.

There may be a bit more flexibility in due dates for those concept papers that are designed solely
for disseminating information.