What is a concept paper?

 (modified from Spickard 2005)

All research projects need a concept paper: a short summary
that tells the reader what the project is, why it is important,
and how it will be carried out. Even if no one else ever reads
it, the concept paper helps a researcher spot holes in her or his
project that might later prove fatal. It is far better to be clear at
the beginning than to put in a lot of effort for nothing!

Typically, a concept paper contains these elements:

1. A title in the form of a question. This may be the last part
ofthe concept paper that you write, but it should appear at the
heading of the paper.
2. A clear description of the research topic, including a
summary of what is already known about that topic.
3. A one-sentence statement of the research question that the
project will seek to answer. (This is almost always something
that is not known.) The concept paper should elaborate on how
this question can be answered -- something that almost always
takes more than one sentence to accomplish.
4. A demonstration of why it is important to answer this
research question. What good comes of this answer? Why is
this project worth writing?
5. A description of how the researcher plans to answer the
research question. This includes:
a. a description of the data or evidence that the researcher
plans to gather or use; 
b. a description of how the researcher will analyze these data;
and 
c. a demonstration of how these data and this analytic method
will answer the research question.
 Concept papers should range from
1 - 2 double-spaced pages (250-500
words). The point of a concept paper is
to provide a clear summary of the
research project. It should enable a
casual reader to understand what the
researcher is investigating, why it is
important, and how the investigation
will proceed.
1st Paragraph: Reading Material comes from Malay >>>
bamboo <<< hollow bamboo
eaten ( vegetable / pickled and candied )

2nd Paragraph: Boondocks ( 1944 ) remote area , back

isolated or wild region
from Tagalog (bundok>>mountain )

3rd Paragraph: Caddy ( 1792) a small box , or chest used for

keeping tea leaves borrowed from Malay kati .
Weight used in China and the East Indies
equal to slightly more than a pound avoirdupois.
4th Paragraph : Camphor ( 1313) , derived from Malay Kapur
chalk lime , pleasant – smelling
crystalline compound obtained from the
wood and bark of the camphor tree.

5th Paragraph: Cassowary ( 1611 ) a large flightless bird of

Australia , New Guinea .
Related to Ostrich

6th Paragraph: Gingham ( 1615 ) cotton or linen cloth , woven

of dyed yarn.
Poem written by Eugene Field ( 1850 -1895 )
From Spanish:
ventana , sinturon , kutsilyo , mesa , primero ,
segundo , singko , derecho , obra

Indonesian Malay:
gunting , payong , anak , halo halo , lima , salamat

American :
Kontraktwal , empleyado , burger , barbeque , cake
June 26, 2015 , forty – one Filipino words >> Oxford English
Dictinonary :

Barong , bahala na , barkada , barangay , KKB , kikay , suki ,

pulutan

Americanized :

Carabao ( kalabaw )
Machin ( matsing )
Calamondin ( kalamunding , a citrus tree )
boondocks ( bundok )
Techniques and Uses of Definition:
1.To clarify meanings of words , or to correct
misinterpretations , or misuse of a term.
2. To stipulate the meaning of a term by limiting ,
extending , or redirecting the sense in which a term is
usually understood : to use a term , borrowed from
another field of knowledge , in a special way.

e.g: “Window dressing “ - used to make a shop

window more attractive to buyers. This is stipulatively
used in a false banking report to deceptively project
an impression stability or financial growth.
 Techniques
1.Formal – follows a pattern or equation:
term + genus + differentiate ( differentiating characteristics )
e.g : A robot is a machine that looks like a human being and
performs complex acts of human being ( Webster )

2.By synonym- using a word or phrase that shares a meaning with

the term being defined
e.g: Hashish – marijuana

3.By origin or semantic history –

e.g Yoga comes from the Sanskrit “to join”

4.By Illustration-
e.g : Known for their shedding their leaves in the fall , deciduous
trees include oaks ,
maples , and beeches.
5. By function –
e. g : A thermometer measures temperature change.

6. By Analysis – ( Breaking down wholes into parats , aspects into

levels , and a process into steps )
e.g: The republican form of government has three
branches: the executive , the legislative , and the judiciary .

7. By likeness or similarity –
e.g : Brighter than 100million suns , quasars , stands like beacons on
the shore of the universe.

8. By analogy or metaphor
e.g : The germs and bacteria or antigens are like a gang of villains
invading our body , attcking our unseen defenders and lymphocytes.
9. By contrast – uses opposites
e.g : Unlike those of gas , the particles of
plasma are electrically charged.

10.By negation : stating what is a term is

not :
e.g: Wild rice , an American delicacy , is
not rice at all but the seed of a tall aquatic
grass.
FILIPINO WORDS ORIGIN MEANING LANGUAGE ORIGIN

1. Bibig A.hi-kau A.Street A.Japanese

2. Daan B.Bibir B.Mouth B.Chinese

3. Bathala C.Jalan C.Eearings C.Indonesian-

Malaysain

4. Hikaw D.Dandan D.Slowly D.Indian

5. Dahan -dahan E.Bathara E.Supreme Being E.Spanish

 Main Idea and Supporting Ideas
1.Thesis – Boondocks refers to a remote rural isolated or even
wild area.
2. Supporting Deatail 1- Borrowed from the Tagalog word ,
bundok , meaning mountain , the word now refers to any
rough country , with the letter-s added to make it refer to
locations.
3. Supporting Detail 2- Eralier used by U.S servicemen during
the world war to refer to the remote swapy areas used for
training . It later referred to distant , rural areas.
4. Supporting Detail 3- Boondockers , a derivative , are shoes
suitable for rough terrain
5. Supporting Detail 4 – Boonies became the slang equivalent
of boondocks.
Summary :
Boondocks , from the Tagalog word
bundok ( mountain ) , refers to a remote area ,
even wild area. Its ending in – s , and changed
reflect how borrowed words may be modified to
suit the new meaning and use given it by the
American borrowers.

The mini concepts paper may consist of

the definition of the word ; in this case its origin
and changed meaning , The addition of the new
uses of the word clarifies the concept further.
Assessment:
1.A concept paper is written mainly to:
a. distinguish between the old and new meaning of a word / concept
b. trace the development of a word from its old form to its new one.
c. clarify the meaning of a concept.

2.At the heart of a concept paper is usually:

a.The defintion of the term.
b.The semantic history of concept.
c.A distinction between its standard and slang versions.

3.The etymology of a concept or word clarifies:

a.The changes in the meaning of the word.
b.The original form of the concept.
c.The origin and development of the word / concept.’

4.In the paragraph on the boondocks , bondockers is:

a.The etymology of the word.
b.The plural form of the word.
c.A derivative form from the term
d.A slang version of the term.