WEEK 2: HOW TO WRITE A CONCEPT PAPER

CONCEPT PAPER
 A concept paper is an academic paper written by a student or
individual who is about to conduct a research. It is a summary of
his/her research paper.

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

 master the process on how to write a concept paper;

 differentiate concept paper and research proposal;
 enumerate the different parts of a concept paper; and
 write a concept paper.

Last week, you were introduced to the different ways in explaining a concept. For
this week, you shall be applying what you have learned from the previous week in the
task that you are to work on. Now, you will be introduced to other definitions of concept
paper and the procedure on how to write one.

A concept paper is about the in-depth analysis regarding an intangible thought,

theory, or idea. Concept examples include fear, authorship, unemployment, education,
etc. The goal of writing a concept paper is to explain a particular idea to the
audience objectively. If your audience doesn't have the knowledge about the
issue, your job should be to inform them. If your audience have some
knowledge, your job is to add new things into the discussion. The concept paper,
sometimes called a prospectus, preliminary proposal, or pre-proposal, which is a
useful tool for several purposes.

STEPS FOR WRITING A CONCEPT

PAPER
Usually, a concept paper discusses a controversial topic which could be
interpreted in various ways. Below are the steps for writing a concept paper.

Pick your concept.

If your instructor did not assign a particular concept, you have the freedom of deciding
the topic. You should choose a subject that is related to the course your concept paper
is for. Your concept should illuminate the topics which have been discussed in your
class. It also always helps if you choose a subject that you are familiar with or
interested in researching on.

 Research your concept.

You should spend no less time to research about your topic than actually writing your
paper. While doing the research, you should gather informative and objective
information. The materials you research should be a mix of scholar journals, books,
professional websites and interviews.

Refine the topic.

When you pinpoint the concept, it helps for limiting the possibilities of your research,
otherwise the research might feel overwhelming and infinite. For instance, if
environmentalism was your original concept, after you conduct the research, the
concept should become more specific such as solar energy applied in a certain field.
 

 Outline your paper.

A basic outline includes an introduction, a body part and a conclusion. Comprise your introduction into a brief
and accepted definition of your concept, a thesis statement, your addition to the concept paper. Your body part
includes helping cause and effect, definitions, and the comparison of examples for your audience
understand chosen concept. Your conclusion includes a summary of your paper, a restatement of your thesis,
and a wrapping up sentence at the end.

 Write each section at a and time.

By doing so, you will be able to breakdown the essay into smaller and manageable
chunks.  While writing the paper, you should keep the thesis statement at the forefront
the whole time. Remember that your concept paper should be descriptive and
informative instead of persuasive.

Edit and revise your paper.

Look for contradictions in your paper and any major problems that may exist in the
paper. You can do grammatical edits at the last draft. It also helps if you ask a few
other people to read your paper and give some feedback.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONCEPT PAPER

AND THEIR USES
 

1. Academic Research Concept Papers.

This type of concept paper is the most common type and the one most people
are familiar with. Concept papers for academic research are used by students to
provide an outline for their prospective research topics.

These concept papers are used to help students flesh out all the information and
ideas related to their topic so that they may arrive at a more specific research
hypothesis.

 
 2. Advertising concept papers.

Advertising concept papers are usually written by the creative and concept
teams in advertising and marketing agencies.

Through a concept paper, the foundation or theme for an advertising campaign

or strategy is formed. The concept paper can also serve as a bulletin board for ideas
that the creative and concept teams can add to or develop. 

This type of concept paper usually discusses who the target audience of the
campaign is, what approach of the campaign will be, how the campaign will be
implemented, and the projected benefits and impact of the campaign to the company’s
sales, consumer base, and other aspects of the company.

3. Research grant concept papers.

This type of concept paper is most common in the academe and business world.
Alongside proving why your research project should be conducted, a research grant
concept paper must also appeal to the company or funding agency on why they should
be granted funds.

The paper should indicate a proposed timeline and budget for the entire project.
It should also be able to persuade the company or funding agency on the benefits of
your research project– whether it be an increase in sales or productivity or for the
benefit of the general public.

Difference of Concept Paper and

Research Proposal
 

It’s important to discuss the differences between the two because a lot of people
often use these terms interchangeably.

 
A concept paper is one of the first A research proposal is a more in-
steps in conducting a research depth outline of a more fleshed-out
project. It is during this process that research project. This is the final
ideas and relevant information to step before a researcher can
 the research topic are gathered to
produce the research hypothesis.
Thus, a concept paper should
always precede the research
proposal.
conduct their research project.
Although both have similar
elements and structures, a
research proposal is more specific
when it comes to how the entire
research project will be conducted.

  

WRITING A CONCEPT PAPER

 

 The following is a suggested outline for your concept paper. If the agency provides a
different format—use it! 

1. Title

The title for your paper must be able to effectively summarize what your research is all
about. Use simple words so that people who read the title of your research will know
what it’s all about even without reading the entire paper. 

1. Introduction

The introduction should give the reader a brief background of the research topic and
state the main objective that your project aims to achieve. This section should also
include a short overview of the benefits of the research project to persuade the reader
to acknowledge the need for the project.

1. Purpose

The purpose of the study should be written in a way that convinces the reader of the
need to address the existing problem or gap in knowledge that the research project
aims to resolve. In this section, you have to go into more detail about the benefits and
value of your project for the target audience/s. 

 
 1. Goals and Objectives/Research Questions

Simply state the main objectives that your research is trying to achieve. The objectives
should be able to indicate the direction of the study for both the reader and the
researcher. As with other elements in the paper, the objectives should be specific and
clearly defined.

1. Methodology and Timelines

In this section, you should be able to guide the reader through the process of how you
will conduct the research project. Make sure to state the purpose for each step of the
process, as well as the type of data to be collected and the target population.
Depending on the nature of your research project, the length of the entire process can
vary significantly. What’s important is that you are able to provide a reasonable and
achievable timeline for your project.

 Make sure the time you will allot for each component of your research won’t be too
excessive or too insufficient so that the quality of your research won’t suffer.

1. References

Ensure that you will give credit to all the authors of the sources you used in your
paper. Depending on your area of study or the instructions of your professor, you may
need to use a certain style of citation.

Finally, appearance is important. This concept paper represents you! The type
size should be large enough to read easily, and margins should be standard size.
Check for spelling errors before submission. Attention to detail is important. Number all
pages.

Tips in Writing a Concept Paper

 Use simple, concise language. Minimize the use of flowery language and
always try to use simple and easy-to-understand language. Too many technical
or difficult words in your paper may alienate your readers and make your paper
hard to read. 
  Choose your sources wisely. When scouring the Internet for sources to use,
you should always be wary and double-check the authenticity of your source.
Doing this will increase the authenticity of your research project’s claims and
ensure better data gathered during the process.
 Follow the specified format, if any. Make sure to follow any specified format
when writing your concept paper. This is very important, especially if you’re
writing your concept paper for class. Failure to follow the format will usually result
in point deductions and delays because of multiple revisions needed.
 Proofread often. Make it a point to reread different sections of your concept
paper after you write them. Another way you can do this is by taking a break for
a few days and then coming back to proofread your writing. You may notice
certain areas you’d like to revise or mistakes you’d like to fix. Make proofreading
a habit to increase the quality of your paper.

SAMPLE CONCEPT PAPER

Here’s a sample of a concept paper which serves as your guide when you work
on your learning task.

/files/5012703/SAMPLE_CONCEPT_PAPER(3).docx

GENERALIZATION:

In our daily lives, we often thought of an idea that we think is worthy to share.
One field where you can apply the process on how to write a concept is in the field of
business. A concept paper, as mentioned in this module, gives a blueprint as to what
is expected from your proposal. This aims to persuade an agency to accept your
proposal. On the other hand, writing a concept paper in the field of academe
specifically in Research helps you to be guided as to what must be done. This also
directs your teacher/reader as to the content of you research. In summary, the
following are the steps in writing a concept paper: pick your concept,  research your
concept, refine your topic, outline your paper, write each section at a and time, and
edit and revise your paper. You also learned the outline of a concept paper which
includes the topic, introduction, purpose, goals and objectives/research questions,
methodology and references.

                                                                                                        --end of discussion-
 VALUE STATEMENT

“Research is something that everyone can do, and everyone

ought to do. It is simply collecting information and thinking
systematically about it.”
                                          - Raewyn