Unit 4-Lesson 9

Writing a Concept Paper

Objectives

• Explain what a concept paper is.

• Identify the features of an effective concept
paper.
• Explain a concept through definition, explication,
and clarification.
• Identify situations where effective concept paper
can be used in the present society.
• Know the different types of concept paper
according to context.
Objectives

• Define the context for a concept paper.

• Analyze the features of a concept paper.
• Use transitions to connect ideas.
• Present a new concept or project with the aid
of visuals; and
• Write an effective concept paper.
Group Activity

• Divide the class into four (4) groups.

• Identify a problem common to teenagers
nowadays.
• Draw or illustrate the problem in an
illustration board or any similar material.
• On a separate sheet, write a brief summary of
the proposed solution of the group to their
identified problem and some brief details.
• Imagine that your solution was implemented.
• Each group will present to the class their
chosen scenario, through a group reporting or
acting (dramatization), but this time with the
problem already given solution.
One use of a Concept Paper

• In an academic or professional setting,

investment can be sought or voluntarily
provided to fund a project or research study.
• The request for funding or decision to release
funds for a project or study is made through
the Concept Paper.
 What is a Concept Paper?
• A concept paper is one that contains the
summary of the details of a proposed project,
the reasons for conducting the project and
how it will be carried out or implemented.
• It provides an overview of the project, and
helps funding agencies eliminate proposals
that are likely to be disapproved.
Other Uses of a Concept Paper

• 1. It serves as a foundation of a complete proposal.

• 2. It helps determine whether a certain project is feasible or
not.
• 3. It is used to pique or arouse the interest of potential
funding agencies.
• 4. It is used to obtain informal feedbacks on the ideas before
preparing a complete proposal.
• 5. It shows a preview of the improvements the proponent
plans to implement.
• 6. It helps address social issues by showing solutions to
tangible social issues.
3 Ways to Explain Concept

• 1. By Definition-a method of identifying a given term and

making its meaning clearer. It answers the question
“What does it mean?”. It contains the term to be
defined through illustrations, examples, and description.
• 3 Ways to present a Definition : Informal, Formal, or
Extended.
• a. Informal definition-done through a parenthetical or
brief explanation.
• Ex. Tocopherol (Vitamin E) is naturally found in vegetable
oil, fish and nuts.
• b. Formal definition-explains a term by incorporating
the term to be defined (species), the general
category of the term (genus) and the quality that
makes the term different from other terms in the
same category (differentia).
• Ex. Vitamin E is a light yellow fat-soluble vitamin that
acts as an anti-oxidant.
• c. Extended definition-is a detailed way of defining a
term and is usually composed of at least one
paragraph.
• Example of Extended definition:
• 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
faciliate 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.
 Elements of a Definition
• To better present ideas, we should identify
important elements contained in a definition,
such as:
• 1. The term being defined
• 2. The detailed explanation
• 3. The specific examples
• Definition uses signal words like: as defined, for
instance, means, to define, for example, is
defined as, such as, to illustrate
3 Ways to Define a Concept

• 2. By Explication-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. When using this technique,
you need to clearly present your thesis in the
introduction and follow it up with a detailed analysis of a
passage or text. You may begin the body of the
explication by analyzing and explaining how the text was
constructed. The explication should end with a concise
conclusion by restating your thesis and major argument.
“The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

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;
 Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
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 back.
 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
 Explication of “The Road Not Taken”

• The poem entitled “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 concequences of that choice
have made a huge difference in the way his life
has unfolded.
 Explication example (continued)
• 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 taken at some point in his life 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.
 Explication example (continued)
• In the second stanza he says he took the other road
because it was grassy and was possibly better because it
was less travelled, 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
blacking 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.
 Explication example (continued)
• 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.

An excerpt from:
http://efford.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/8/3/138
33564/poetryexplicationexample.doc
3 Ways to Define a Concept

• 3. By Clarification-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 example and specifying
some of its characteristics to arrive at one working
definition which can be used throughout the paper.
• These signal words aids in writing this text (after all, for
instance, namely, that is, as an example, in other words,
put another way, to be specific, consider the following, in
particular, specifically, to clarify, for example, in short,
stated differently, and to illustrate)
 Sample Clarification text
• Justice is a broad concept which encompasses a
wide set of ideas, most 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.
 Sample Clarification text (continued)
• 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 justice in the context of the paper, as the process
has not undergone due process.
Parts of a Concept Paper

• As to size or length, a concept paper ranges from 500

to 2000 words and is usually divided into several
parts. The following structure may be used
depending upon the nature of the project unless a
specific format or design is required by the funding
agency:
• For a Tangible Project:
1. Cover page (name of proponent, affiliation, address,
contact no & email address, head of his agency, date
of submission)
Parts of a Concept Paper

2. Introduction (information about the funding

agency to show understanding of its mission,
mission of the proponent aligned to the
funding agency’s mission, proponent’s major
accomplishments and show capability to
undertake the proposed project)
3. Rationale or Background (knowledge gap to
be addressed by the project, problems to be
solved, and project’s significance)
Parts of a Concept Paper

4. Project Description (project goals and

objectives, action plan or approach, timeline,
anticipated benefits or outcomes, how success
of outcome will be evaluated)
5. Project Needs and Cost (main budget outline
with item description and amount,
justification of the needed budget, list of
needed personnel or equipment)
• For a Research project:
1. Title (research title, name & school, date of
submission)
2. Background of the Study (current state of the
field researching on, knowledge gap &
problems to be addressed with statistics and
previous studies, reasons for investigating on
the topic chosen, theoretical & practical
implications)
• For a Research project:
1. Title (research title, name & school, date of
submission)
2. Background of the Study (current state of the
field researching on, knowledge gap &
problems to be addressed with statistics and
previous studies, reasons for investigating on
the topic chosen, theoretical & practical
implications)
3. Preliminary Literature Review (theoretical
framework which includes the guide theory in
your research, related literature, related
studies, brief synthesis of reviewed literature
& studies)
4. Statement of the Problem/Objectives
(general problem, specific research questions
or objectives)
5. Abridged Methodology (context & participants
of the study, instruments to be used, data
collection procedure, data analysis scheme to
be used)
6. Timeline (timeline set in months and year, e.g.
Gantt chart-bar chart illustrating a project
schedule, named after Henry Gantt)
7. References (list of all books, journals and other
resources cited in the 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. Do not use more than five (5) pages (single
spaced) excluding the cover page. Do not
overwhelm the readers with details.
Guidelines in Writing a Concept Paper

5. Do not request for funding for planning the

proposal.
6. Use a language appropriate to your readers.
Use technical terms if readers are scholars and
scientists. But refrain from using jargon
(special words or expressions used by a
particular profession or group) when your
readers are lay persons.
Guidelines in Writing a Concept Paper

7. Indicate budget overview if required. If not

required, simply include type of support
needed such as personnel, travel,
communication ands equipment.
8. Incorporate basic formats such as page
numbers.
9. Cite references.
Write E if the statement is an effective way of
writing a concept paper and N if not.
1. Rino fails to indicate the page number in his concept
paper.
2. Andrew included a literature review for his concept
paper he made for his term paper.
3. Geryl includes in the reference all journals he used
but excludes the books he cited.
4. Thea made her timeline independent from the details
in the methodology.
5. Yana requested a budget from the funding agency on
the preparation of the concept paper.
6. Charry states her objectives in the methodology section.
7. Maxine sticks to one format every time she submits concept
paper to funding agencies.
8. Elie uses data from government agencies to prove the existence
of a problem that she and her team would like to address.
9. Irish clarified the working definition of the concept she is
preparing to ensure that the reader understood it properly.
10. When Theresa knew that her target readers are ;ay persons,
she defined the technical terms that she used in the concept
paper.
 Exercise
• Think of one concept related to any of the
following fields: Art, Business, Law, Philosophy,
Politics, Religion, Science, Sports, Home
Economics, Agriculture, Fishery, Industrial Arts,
Information and Communication Technology.
• Explain your chosen concept using definition,
explication OR clarification. Your explanation
must be at least 50 words and at most 300 words.