EAPP
It is used to pique/stimulate the interest
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 reason for conducting the
project, and how it will be carried out.
CONCEPT PAPER
 defines an idea or a concept and
explains its essence to clarify the
“whatness” of the idea
 answers the questions: “what is” and
“what about it?”
 Usually ranges from 500-2000 words
and divided into several parts
 Its purpose is to stipulate the meaning
of a term by limiting, extending, or
redirecting the reference or sense.
 Concepts must be clarified and
explained in such a way that the
readers can understand and make sense
of the connection.
USES OF A CONCEPT PAPER
1. It serves as a foundation of the full
proposal.
2. It helps determine whether a certain
project is feasible or not.
3. It is used to pique/stimulate the
interest of the potential funding
agencies.
4. It is used to obtain informal feedback
on the ideas prior to preparing the full
proposal.
1. It serves as a foundation of the full
proposal.
 Concept paper includes your idea about
the proposal (provides overview of your
project). It creates a more concrete vision
of the proposal
2. It helps determine whether a certain
project is feasible or not.
 Is it likely to succeed in the first place?
Can the project be completed in a
reasonable timeline that is advantageous
to the funders and beneficiaries?
3.
of the potential funding agencies.
 When making a concept paper, do not
just present your project but also aim to
sell your project. Get the interest of the
investors.
4. It is used to obtain informal feedback on
the ideas prior to preparing the full
proposal.
 Prior to the actual presentation, you can
make revisions or adjustments based on
the feedback you have received from the
investors. It can help you spot holes in
your project that might be a problem
later if not attended sooner.
PURPOSE OF A CONCEPT PAPER
 to lay out the basics of a grant
proposal so that everyone involved in
planning and implementation agrees on
what will be in the proposal.
 You may use it to lay out your ideas to
administrators and colleagues to decide
whether to seek grant funding; and once
you've decided, you may use a concept
paper to get approval for submitting a
proposal.
 With the public, concept papers
promote accurate and consistent
communication
CONCEPT PAPER
 Starts with definition of the term or
the concept and proceeds with an
expanded definition and analytic
description.
 In writing a concept paper, it is very
important that you know how to define
or explain the concept that you want to
propose to the potential investors or
funders.
THREE WAYS IN EXPLAINING A CONCEPT
1. DEFINITION
2. EXPLICATION
3. CLARIFICATION
 1. DEFINITION
 It is the method of identifying a given
term and making its meaning clearer.
 Its main purpose is to clarify and
explain concepts, ideas, and issues by
answering the question, “What does it
mean?”
A definition can be presented in 3 ways:
A. FORMAL
B. INFORMAL
C. EXTENDED
A. FORMAL DEFINITION
 explains a term by incorporating the
term to be defined (species), the
general category of the term
(genus/class), and the quality that
makes the term different from other
terms in the same category
(differentia)
Examples:
1. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as
an anti-oxidant.
2. School is an institution where learning takes
place.
B. INFORMAL DEFINITION
 It is done through a parenthetical or
brief explanation.
Examples:
1. Tocopherol (Vitamin E) is naturally found
in vegetable oil, fish and nuts.
2. Pencil is used to write and draw.
C. EXTENDED DEFINITION
 It is a detailed way of defining a term
and is usually composed of at least one
paragraph. This type of definition
incorporates various patterns of
development to explain a given concept.
Examples:
1. Democracy is a form…
2. Love is...
TECHNIQUES OF DEFINING A CONCEPT
Definition by:
a. Synonym
b. Function
c. Analogy
d. Comparison and Contrast
A. DEFINITION BY SYNONYM
 Using a similar word or phrase to
define a word
Example:
1. In the section on formal definition, a
charlatan was defined as "a person (genus)
who pretends to have knowledge or skill he
does not possess (DIFFERENTIA).
A charlatan is a pretender
B. DEFINITION BY FUNCTION
 Stating what the term is for.
Examples:
 Education provides a learning
environment to hone the students’
knowledge and skills about a certain
field.
 Education is a process of giving or
receiving systematic instruction,
especially at a school or university
(Oxford Dictionary).
C. DEFINITION BY ANALOGY
 Comparing the term to another
object/concept/idea that shares the
same characteristics as the term
being defined.
Example:
1. Structure of an atom is like a solar system.
Nucleus is the sun and electrons are the planets
revolving around their sun.
Atom : Solar System
Nucleus : Sun
Electrons : Planets orbiting Sun
D. DEFINITION BY COMPARISON AND
CONTRAST
 Giving the definition by comparing
and contrasting the same or different
concept.
Some other patterns of paragraph
development can also be used to extend the
definition of a concept.
 Narration
 Description
 Classification
 Process
 Cause and Effect
2. EXPLICATION
 “explicate” - to give a detailed
explanation
 the process of analyzing a literary
work in order to reveal its meaning
(Webster dictionary)
 a method of explanation of sentences,
verses, quotes, or passages taken from
a literary or academic work
✓Should end with a concise conclusion by
restating your thesis and major arguments.
3. CLARIFICATION/ EXEMPLIFICATION
 which means using examples to
explain, convince or amuse. It is a
pattern of essay development that uses
specific instances (examples) to clarify a
point, to add interest, or to persuade
(Clouse, 2006).
 It is a method of explanation in which
the points are organized from a
general abstract idea to specific and
concrete examples.
 It entails the analysis of the concept
by looking at the examples and
specifying some of its characteristics
to arrive at one working definition
which can be used throughout the
paper.
Signal Words for Clarification
PARTS OF A CONCEPT PAPER
CONCEPT PAPER for a Project
1. COVER PAGE
2. INTRODUCTION
3. RATIONALE OR BACKGROUND
4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
5. PROJECT NEEDS AND COST
1. COVER PAGE
 State the name of the proponents and
their affiliations.
 State the addresses, contact numbers,
and email addresses of the
proponents.
 State the head of the agency and
his/her contact information.
 State the date of submission.
2. INTRODUCTION
 State the information about the
funding agency to show that you
understand its mission.
 State the mission of the agency that
the proponents represent and align it to
the funding agency’s mission.
 Present and describe other partner
agencies and why they are qualified.
 Provide reasons why the funding
agency should support the project.
3. RATIONALE or BACKGROUND
 State the gap in knowledge to be
addressed by the project.
 State the problems to be solved.
 State the project’s significance
4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
 State the goals and objectives of the
project.
 Present the methodology (Process);
sometimes termed as “Action Plan,
Project Activities/Approach”
 Present the timeline expressed in
months and year.
 State the benefits or anticipated
outcomes.
 State how success of outcomes will be
evaluated.
5. PROJECT NEEDS AND COST
OBJECTIVES
 Outline the main budget; include the
item description and amount.
 Explain or justify how the budget will
be used.
 List the personnel or equipment
needed for the project.
5. ABRIDGED METHODOLOGY
CONCEPT PAPER for Academic Research
1. TITLE PAGE
2. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
3. PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW
4. STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM/OBJECTIVES
5. ABRIDGED METHODOLOGY
6. TIMELINE
6. TIMELINE
7. REFERENCES
1. TITLE PAGE
7. REFERENCES
 State your research title.
 State your name and school.
 State the date of submission.
GUIDELINES IN WRITING A CONCEPT PAPER
2. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
 Provide the current state of the field
you are researching on.
 State the gap in knowledge and
problems to be addressed by the
research. Provide statistics and
previous studies to prove your claims.
 State the reasons why you want to
investigate on the chosen topic.
 State the theoretical and practical
implications of your proposed
research
3. PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW
 Provide a theoretical framework.
 Provide related literature that
supports your topic.
 Provide related studies that will help
you in conducting the research or
analyzing and discussing the data.
 Provide a brief synthesis of the
reviewed literature and studies.
4. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM/
 State your general problem in one
sentence.
 State your specific research questions
or objectives.
 Present the research design.
 Provide the context and participants
of the study.
 Provide the instruments to be used.
 Provide the data collection procedure.
 Provide the data analysis scheme to be
used.
 set in months and years
 list of books, journals, other sources
1. Cost and methodology should be
reasonable.
2. The budget, methodology, and
timeline should be clearly aligned.
3. Use statistics and figures when
discussing the rationale for the project.
4. Use no more than five pages (single-
spaced) excluding the cover page. Do
not overwhelm the readers with details.
5. Never request funding for planning the
proposal.
6. Adjust your language to the intended
readers. You may use technical terms if
readers are scholars and scientists.
However, refrain from using jargon
when your target readers are lay
persons.
7. Include the overview of the budget if it
is required. If not, then skip the budget
section.
8. Be sure that basic format details, such
as page numbers, are incorporated.
9. Cite your references.