Writing a Concept Paper

Objectives:
1.Defines what a concept paper is.
2. Determines the ways a writer can elucidate on a concept by
3.Identifies situations in which a concept paper may be effectively used to improve
our society
4.Comprehends various kinds of concept papers
5. Explains and clarifies concepts in fields such as:
a. Art c. Law e.Politics g. Science
b. Business d.Philosophy f.Religion
6. Comprehends various kinds of concept papers
7.Presents a novel concept or project with accompanying visuals/ graphic aids
 What is 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 the interest of the potential funding agencies and it is
used to obtain informal feedback on the ideas prior to preparing the full
proposal.

4. It is used to obtain informal feedback on the ideas prior to preparing the

full proposal.
 Three Ways in Explaining a Concept

By By By
DEFINITION EXPLICATION CLARIFICATION
A. Definition
Meaning: It is a method of identifying a
given term and making its meaning clearer.
Purpose: To clarify and explain
concepts, ideas, and issues by answering
the question. “What does it mean?”
Three Ways of Writing by Definition
1. Informal Definition
2. Formal Definition
3. Extended Definition
Informal Definition
It is done through a parenthetical or brief
explanation

E.g Tocopherol (Vitamin E) is naturally

found in vegetable oil, fish and nuts.
Formal Definition
It explains the term by incorporating the term to be defined,
the general category of the term, and the quality that makes
the term different from other terms in the same category.

e.g Vitamin E is a light yellow fat-soluble

vitamin that acts as an anti-oxidant.
Extended Definition
It is a detailed way of defining a term and is usually composed of at least
one paragraph,
It incorporates various patterns of development to explain a given concept.

Example:
Subsequent to materials design is the preparation of learning materials. Learning
materials refer to both printed and non-printed objects or items that teachers and
learners use to facilitate language learning. Nowadays , materials are becoming more
and more sophisticated , incorporating authentic language samples and realias that
help make a connection between classrooms and real-life activities, They also
incorporate information and communication technology (ICT), role plays, information-
gap activities, songs, taped transcripts, integrated macroskills, and explicit rubrics.
SIGNAL WORDS FOR
DEFINITION
As For Means To
defined instance Such as define
For …is To
example defined illustrate
as…
B. Explication
It is a method of explanation in which sentences,
verses, quotes, or passages are taken from a literary
or academic work and then interpreted and explained
in a detailed way.
Present the thesis in the introduction and followed up
with a detailed analysis of a passage or text.
Begin the body of the explication by analyzing and
explaining how the text was constructed.
End the explication with a concise conclusion
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

Then took the other, as just as fair, I shall be telling this with a sigh
And having perhaps the better claim, Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
Though as for that the passing there I took the one less traveled by,
Had worn them really about the same, And that has made all the difference.
 The Road Not Taken- Robert Frost

The poem titled "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is about a
man reflecting on a choice he once made. While the outcome of this
choice is not implied to be positive or negative the speaker notes
that the choice in itself and the consequences of that choice have
made a huge difference in the way his life has unfolded.

Two roads diverged in a
yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel
both
And be one traveler, long I
stood
And looked down one as far
as I could
To where it bent in the
undergrowth;
The poem is about the
importance of choices. The
poem begins with the speaker
regretting that he could not have
been two people so he could
have at some point in his life
taken two roads instead of being
confined to one. He looked as
far as he could to see what was
ahead on one of the roads he
could have taken, but he was
limited to seeing only as far as
where it turned and disappeared
in the bushes
 In the second stanza he
Then took the other, as just as fair, says he took the other
And having perhaps the better road because it was
claim, grassy and was
Because it was grassy and wanted possibly better because
wear; it was less traveled,
Though as for that the passing there though not much more
than the other road.
Had worn them really about the
same,

And both that morning equally
lay
In leaves no step had trodden
black.
Oh, I kept the first for another
day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to
way,
I doubted if I should ever come
The third stanza says both
roads were covered in leaves
that had been walked on
infrequently, to the extent that
the leaves covering them had
not been made black from
tramping feet. He also says he
continued on the road he
chose, and because he knew
that one thing leads to another
("way leads on to way") he
doubted he would ever return
to this part of the road.

I shall be telling this with a
sigh
Somewhere ages and ages
hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the
difference.
Finally, he says he will
tell the story when he is
much older
("Somewhere ages and
ages hence") that he
had the choice of taking
one road over another,
and having taken the
one he did made a big
difference in his life.
      The poem titled "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is about a man reflecting on a
choice he once made. While the outcome of this choice is not implied to be positive or
negative the speaker notes that the choice in itself and the consequences of that choice have
made a huge difference in the way his life has unfolded.
The poem is about the importance of choices. The poem begins with the speaker regretting
that he could not have been two people so he could have at some point in his life taken two
roads instead of being confined to one. He looked as far as he could to see what was ahead on
one of the roads he could have taken, but he was limited to seeing only as far as where it
turned and disappeared in the bushes. In the second stanza he says he took the other road
because it was grassy and was possibly better because it was less traveled, though not much
more than the other road. The third stanza says both roads were covered in leaves that had
been walked on infrequently, to the extent that the leaves covering them had not been made
black from tramping feet. He also says he continued on the road he chose, and because he
knew that one thing leads to another ("way leads on to way") he doubted he would ever return
to this part of the road. Finally, he says he will tell the story when he is much older
("Somewhere ages and ages hence") that he had the choice of taking one road over another,
and having taken the one he did made a big difference in his life.
C. Clarification
It is a method of explanation in which the points
are organized from a general abstract 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

After all For instance Namely That is…

As an In other words Put another To be specific
example… In particular way To clarify
Consider the In short Specifically To illustrate
following Stated
For example differently
Justice is a broad concept which encompasses a widest set of ideas of which
also branch out into smaller notions. For instance, it can refer to the sentencing
of a criminal based on due process. When an individual gets what he deserves,
even outside the hands of the law, it is also considered justice in some contexts.
This may come in the form of vigilante justice, in which a person dissatisfied
with the system doles out punishment to wrong-doers. Poetic justice is also
another related concept which is used in literature to show how the good is
always rewarded while bad forces always meet a grim end. In the context of
this paper, justice will be clearly delineated into any instance in which the law
is successfully and fairly applied to an individual, resulting in either an arrest or
a release. To illustrate , if a thief is caught and tried in court through due process
, and is found to be guilty and then sentenced accordingly, it can be said that
justice was served. However, if the same thief is caught in the act by a band of
villagers and was beaten right then and there , it will be considered injustice in
the context of the paper, as the process has not undergone due process.
Techniques in Clarifying
Use a practical example
Share a personal experience
Provide a definition
Make an analogy
Offer a comparison and a contrast
Refer to word origin
Link to previously learned/mentioned information
Provide visual means
Activity:
Title:

The Relationship of Students’

Performance and their Attitude Towards
Chemistry
 Crossing the Bar- Alfred Lord Tennyson
Sunset and evening star, 
 And one clear call for me!  Twilight and evening bell, 
And may there be no moaning of the bar,  And after that the dark! 
When I put out to sea,  And may there be no sadness of farewell, 
When I embark; 
 But such a tide as moving seems asleep, 
 Too full for sound and foam,  For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
When that which drew from out the boundless The flood may bear me far, 
deep  I hope to see my Pilot face to face 
Turns again home.  When I have crost the bar
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
GUIDELINES IN WRITING A
CONCEPTUAL PAPER
Guidelines in Writing a Concept Paper
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. Use technical terms if readers are
scholars and scientists. 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.
PARTS OF A CONCEPT PAPER

Concept Paper for a Project

Concept Paper for Academic
Research
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
Proponents and affiliations
Addresses, contact numbers, email
addresses of the proponents
Head of the agency/contact information
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.
State the year of establishment and major
accomplishments.
Present and describe other partner agencies and why
they are qualified as such.
Provide reasons why the funding agency should support
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 (Action Plan, Project
Activities or Approach)
Timeline in months and year
Benefits or anticipated outcomes
State how success of outcome will be evaluated.
5. Project Needs and Cost
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.
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
7. References
1. Title page
State your research title
State your name and school
State the date of submission
2. Background of the study
Provide 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 reason why you want to investigate on the
chosen topic.
State the theoretical and practical implications of
3. Preliminary literature review
Provide a theoretical framework. TF include the
theory that will guide you in the conduct of your
research.
Provide related literature that will support your
topic.
Provide related studies that will help you in
conducting the research or analyzing and discussing
the data.
4. Statement of the Problem/Objectives
State your general problem in
one sentence.
State your specific research
questions or objectives.
5. Abridged Methodology
Provide the context and the
participants of the study.
Provide the instruments to be used.
Provide the data collection procedure.
Provide the data analysis scheme to
be used.
6. Timeline
Provide a timeline (e.g Grantt Chart) set in months and
year.
7. References
Provide a list of all books,
journals, and other resources cited
in your paper.
Concept Paper
Writing a Position Paper
Objectives:
Define a position paper
Identify the features of an effective position
paper
Identify situations in which a position paper
may be effectively used in present society.
Gather manifestos and analyze their
arguments
Use reasonable arguments and factual
evidence to defend stand.
Determine the purpose of a position
paper.
Analyze the features of a position
paper.
Use transitions to connect ideas and
Write an effective position paper.
What is a Position Paper?
It presents the writers stand or
viewpoint on a particular issue.
It involves outlining arguments
and proposing the course of
action.
Parts of Position Paper
I. Introduction

• Present an attention-grabbing
issue.
• Define the issue and discuss its
background.
• Provide a general statement of
your position via your thesis
II. Body
State your main arguments.
Provide sufficient evidence for each
argument such as statistical data,
interviews with experts, testimonies.
Provide counterarguments against the
possible weakness of your arguments.
III. Conclusion
Restate your position and main
arguments.
Suggest a course of action.
State what makes your position
superior and more acceptable.
End with a powerful closing statements
such as a quotation, a challenge, or a
Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper
Choose a debatable issue.
Issues must be current and relevant.
It must be written in question form and
answerable by yes or no.
The issue should be narrow and
manageable.
Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper
Conduct an in-depth research on the issue.
Define unfamiliar terms when you first mention
them.
Be aware of the various positions about the
issue and explain and analyze them objectively.
Reflect on your position and identify its
weakness.
 Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper
View the issue in a different perspective so can
present a unique approach.
Limit your position paper to two pages.
Analyze your target readers and align your
arguments to their beliefs, needs, interests, and
motivations.
Summarize the other side’s arguments and use
various evidence and data to refute them.
Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper
Use an active voice as much as possible to
achieve a dynamic and firm tone.
Arrange your evidence logically using an
inductive or deductive approach.
Check arguments for fallacies (error in
argument) and eliminate them.
Use ethical, logical and emotional appeal.