There are many decisions involved in planning programs and developing grant

proposals. While there are a lot of people involved in planning: program managers,
financial staff, community members....They're each providing their input, their
viewpoints, and contributing to decision-making. With all of the decisions and all of the
people involved, it's easy to see how there can be misunderstandings.

The purpose of a concept paper is to lay out the basics of a grant proposal so that
everyone involved in planning and implementation (from your organization or a
partner’s) agrees on what will be in the proposal. This promotes good relationships and
helps you get letters of commitment from your partners, as well.

There are also other uses for concept papers. Within your organization, you may use
one 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 with the board to
get approval for submitting a proposal. With the public, concept papers promote
accurate and consistent communication.

A concept paper is brief - two pages, three at most - with just enough detail to lay out
the basics of the grant proposal. You're going to identify the applicant, the funder, and
give a contact person for questions, then briefly describe what's going to be in the
proposal.

Concept papers promote mutual understanding and agreement; they're useful for
internal decision-making; they facilitate consistent communications; and they're a
respectful, professional way to work with others.

Lesson 10: Concept Paper

What is Concept Paper?
Contents

1. What is Concept Paper

2. When is the Research Concept Paper Written
3. Elements
4. Examples

Concept Paper lays the foundation for the applied dissertation

process, providing an introductory form of communication between the
doctoral student and the doctoral committee. Essentially, the Concept
Paper acts as a proposal; it allows the doctoral student the opportunity
to define a research focus and obtain early feedback on the research
idea. A well-planned Concept Paper will capture the interest of the
dissertation committee and establish a clear plan for the student’s
dissertation.

When is the Research Concept Paper

Written
The Research Concept Paper is completed prior to the dissertation
proposal and serves as a development tool and summary of the
planned dissertation. The Concept paper is a brief document.
Depending upon the requirements of a specific academic program, the
Concept Paper may range from as few as 2-3 pages to as many as
10-20 pages. The essential point of the Concept Paper is to explain
the importance of a particular research project.

The Concept Paper initiates the dissertation phase of a doctoral

degree which follows the completion of necessary coursework and
training, and represents a culmination of the student’s learning. The
dissertation is a student’s final academic effort to synthesize course
material by applying their learning to a research project. The project is
expected to add new information to the field of study. The Concept
Paper acts as a summary of this project.
The Concept Paper, although highly abridged, is comprised of many
of the same items found in a dissertation. These specific elements of
the Concept Paper may vary depending upon the academic program
and the chosen degree. Programs typically provide a grading rubric
that serves as an outline for the required components and student are
encouraged to follow those rubrics closely in developing their Concept
Paper.

Elements
Title page — provides a tentative title for the dissertation. The title of
the Concept Paper should be a stand-alone statement that can fully
describe the project by summarizing the main idea of the manuscript.
The title should concisely identify the variables being investigated and
the relationship among those variables (American Psychological
Association [APA], 2010). Words should serve a useful purpose;
avoid words that do not add substance or words that are misleading.
The title of the Concept Paper may become the title of the
dissertation.

Statement of the Problem — provides the purpose for the research.

This section of the Concept Paper introduces the problem under
investigation, addresses why the researcher wants to investigate this
problem, and how the research findings may help. Supporting
documentation, including statistical data if available, should be used to
emphasize the need for this research. This section is one of the most
important sections of the Concept Paper; its serves to gain the
reader’s attention and support. You care about the research, but the
reader may need some convincing. The first few sentences of the
Concept Paper should intrigue the reader to spike his or her interest
and encourage further reading.

As you begin to write the problem statement of your Concept Paper,

consider your research. First consider why you feel the problem is
important. Consider how your study relates to previous work in the
field, how you will link your hypotheses and objectives to theory, and
how the hypotheses relate to the research design. Finally, consider
the theoretical and practical implications involved in your research
project (APA, 2010). A well-developed, concise, and clear problem
statement will lay the foundation for a strong Concept Paper and the
dissertation that follows.

Preliminary Literature Review — provides identification of major

literature that supports and validates the topic; focuses on areas that
offer support for new research, and offers the student an opportunity
to analyze and synthesize past research in the context of their present
problem. For the Concept Paper, the student should connect their
research project to a theoretical model reported in the literature. The
most successful research projects have been based on the research
of predecessors, and this section of the Concept Paper provides
enough of a description of previous research to plant seeds in the
mind of the reader suggesting more information is needed. A strong
Concept Paper is based on a wide-range literature review that is
condensed into a summary of key points.

Goal Statement — provides a broad or abstract intention, including

the research goals and objectives. This part of the Concept Paper
tells the reader “who, what and when” regarding the research goal.

Research Questions — provides a preliminary view of the questions

the student will investigate. Questions are based on theory, past
research, experience, and need. These questions will direct the
research methodology; their inclusion in the Concept Paper links the
research problem with the methodology. For some, composing the
research questions may be the most difficult part of the research
project, or possibly the most difficult aspect of writing the Concept
Paper. The questions will direct everything that will be done;
therefore, it is important that they are accurate and focused to the
main research problem. These research questions will specifically
direct the research and the type of analyses conducted, as such their
compatibility is essential.
An Abridged Methodology — provides the student’s best idea on
how to conduct the research and analyze the data. The goals and
objects identified in previous sections of the Concept Paper should
relate to the research methods described in this section. For the
Concept Paper, the methodology is simplified or summarized, serving
as a general outline of the methods that will be employed.

Timeline — provides a range of time for completion of the project,

highlighting key elements for each stage of the project. This element
is unique to the Concept Paper and provides the student structure for
managing sections of the project within a realistic time frame.

References — provides references to the material cited in the

literature review and elsewhere in the Concept Paper.

How to write an effective concept paper?

Concept paper, meaning

A concept paper refers to an academic or research paper that is written with the
primary purpose of identifying and explaining an idea or a concept related to a
particular scholarly field or discipline before conducting a research. It is an
unbiased research written in the form of a theory or hypothesis using relevant
and impartial methods of research. It unravels and explains the positive and
negative aspects of a research study utilizing various opposing theories to
reveal gaps and criticisms.
In technical terms, a concept paper provides an overview of the project. Concept
paper helps us to have a detailed knowledge on what is the process of paper
works, projects, business proposals, research paper, etc. Concept paper
is very useful for both students during university projects and entrepreneurs
working on a business proposal.

What is concept paper in research?

A concept paper in research or academia refers to a critical and detailed
summary of a research project by reflecting the interest and issues pertinent to
a particular academic field or study. In academia, concept papers are usually
written by a university student who is on the verge of conducting a research. A
concept paper outlines the research about to be conducted with the purpose to
have a structured goal and direction while conducting research.
Concept papers are also known to be rare proposals, which on average consists
of 5000 words or less and is considered the first crucial step in proposal
development. It is written by a professional, student, or a researcher in
an institution or organization with the intention of providing a brief summary
about a research project during the course of being conducted. It forms an
assessment of an idea in a balanced manner, giving an in-depth explanation of a
particular idea.

What is a concept paper in general?

1. It clarifies a concept: Dissecting or breaking ideas into parts to give a
collective idea about a concept.
2. It conveys the essence of an idea and explains it.

Point of view
There are two types of point of view in a concept paper

 Subjective (personal) – light, informal, familiar, or literary: This point of view is

usually found in newspaper articles where the information presented is informal
for the reason that the audience can understand the language easily and
enjoy having a brief overview or general idea about a particular subject without
the need to emphasize deep learning. For example, articles that
present concepts related to everyday living, such as inspirational
philosophy written with the purpose to correlate with the common man.
 Objective (impersonal) – serious, formal, or literary: Objective point of view refers
to information that is mostly part of academic journals, academic
books, and scholarly magazines that are written and presented in a highly
analytical tone. For example, journal essays, articles based on philosophy, or any
subject related to the academic discipline that is written with the purpose of
study and reflects subject-matter expertise, contributing to scientific discussions
and theories. It involves enumerating of parts, structure, levels, stages, etc. of
the concept being dealt with, as well as explaining of various supporting details
and stating of implications.

How to create a concept paper?

A concept paper requires an academic format to structure and follow in order to
explain a concept appropriately. The following consists of 11 fundamental ways
on how a writer can explain an idea or concept in a professional and
organized manner.
Patterns of development
1. Defining: Giving the meaning of the concept
2. Describing: Characterizing the concept by providing its characteristics.
3. Comparing: Equating with other concepts to ascertain similarities between
concepts.
4. Making an analogy: This is similar to comparing, but also includes any
deduction about of what has been compared.
5. Contrasting: Pairing or linking it with another concept with the purpose of
identifying the differences between the concepts.
6. Classifying: Arranging concepts into groups, based on ways they are alike.
7. Illustrating: Giving proof or evidence, so the reader could understand the
concept.
8. Narrating: Talking about the concept elaborately in a narrative manner.
9. Explaining a process: Explaining the different aspects of the process.
10. Analyzing cause and effect: Giving a critical explanation about the causes
and effects of the idea or concept.
11. Listing: Enumerating, trying to take a rundown about what these kinds of
concepts are.
These patterns of developments are necessary so that the reader of your
academic paper can understand with much ease, such as your arguments or not
necessarily arguments but the definitions or the ideas you wish to either explain
or extrapolate in your paper.

Examples of a concept paper

The following is an example of an explanation of a concept (as part of a concept
paper):
“There are five main types of food chemicals: Carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
vitamins, and minerals. Carbohydrates include such things as sugars and
starches and consists of carbon and hydrogen only. Fats contain oxygen and are
found in dairy products and fatty meats. Together, carbohydrates and fats form
the main energy-giving part of the human diet.
A protein contains nitrogen as well as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Every day,
more than 1 million cells die in the human body, but the proteins carefully
rebuild them. Proteins are found in foods such as meats, eggs, and cheese.”
As you can see, the author of the short selection is trying to explain something
about food chemicals by classifying them into carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
vitamins, and minerals. The author then directed himself (or herself) to explain
food chemicals by breaking down what makes up such food chemicals. He goes
on by explaining the sub-ideas, just so he or she could give more insight on
what food chemicals are and what they do to the human body.
It is evident that there is no added reaction to or reflection on how the selection
has been written. Everything is pure and simple definition of terms and
explanations. This goes to show that concept paper in its plain sense is more of
a discussion-type written work by following the necessary steps on how to write
an academic paper.

Why concept paper is important

Concept papers are known for their use in different fields such as business,
sciences, technology, and academics. Specifically, this output can be used while
preparing for a business proposal, product, or research proposal. These are the
reasons which gives concept paper its significance.
The following points provide benefits of a concept paper to understand its value
and importance as well as clarification on when to write a concept paper:
1. Clarification of product value: Using a concept paper can help define the
importance of a certain product feature or research development. Also, the
product or research impact on society and economy can be discussed and
explained in this output.
2. A better definition of the duties and responsibilities: A concept paper helps to
identify the main stakeholders involved in the project. Starting with the sponsor,
who will then pick the project leader, who then assembles the core team and
supporting teams at the start of the project. Creating the necessary stability
inflow to facilitate the execution.
3. Improvement in communication: A concept paper is an expression of what
leaders, sponsors, and the core team have in mind. It involves sharing
information with those who will support the project by creating the necessary
engagement and communication with those who are not fully dedicated to the
project.
4. Maintaining focus during the execution: A timeline is clearly defined and
visualized in concept papers. These allow teams to keep the project on track
and maintain the discipline of daily management routines, designer views, and
event management.
Always take into consideration that the flow of a concept paper depends on
what kind of output you are working on.

Why write a concept paper?

A concept paper has several uses:
1. First, it is the basis of the full proposal.
2. Second, it helps determine whether a certain project is attainable or not.
3. Third, it is used to draw the interest of a potential funding agency or client.
4. Lastly, it is used to receive informal feedback on the ideas during the
discourse of preparing a full proposal.
In short, a concept paper is a preliminary document for a proposal. It shows a
preview of the improvement that the proposer would like to implement.

Additional information on explaining a concept:

There are three ways of explaining a concept
1. Definition – It is a method of identifying a given term and making its meaning
clearer: its main purpose is to clarify and explain concepts, ideas, and issues.

Definition can be presented in 3 ways: informal, formal, or extended.

1. Information definition – Done through brief explanation.
2. Formal definition – Explains a term by indicating where that term came from
and the quality that makes the term different from others.
3. Extended definition – It is composed of at least one paragraph, providing full
description and complete information.

To better present an idea, one should identify the important elements contained
in a definition: for example, as defined, for instance, meaning, to define, for
example, is defined as, such as, to illustrate.

2. Explication – It is a method of explanation in which sentences, verses,

quotes, or passages are taken for a literary or academic work and then
interpreted and explained in a detailed manner.

3. Clarification – It is a method in which the points are organized from a general

abstract idea to specify and concrete examples are given.

Parts of a concept paper

A concept paper usually ranges from 500 to 2000 words. The following sections
discussed in a concept paper comprise the content of the paper.
Two outlines of concept paper:
1. Concept paper for a project

Use the following structure when you want to present a business

project:

1. Cover page

 State the name of the proponents and their affiliations.

 State the personal data of the proponents.
 State the date of submission and the head of that project.

2. Introduction

 Present what the topic contains and why they need to support the project.

3. Rationale or background

 State the importance of the project and what are the problems that need
solution.

4. Project description

 Provide the goals and objectives of the project, timeline expressed in months and
years, as well as the benefits and the possible outcome.
 State the methodology (action, planning, project activities, or approach).

5. Project needs and cost

 State the outline of the main budget, the description, and the amount.
 Explain how the budget will be used.
 List the personnel or equipment needed for the project.

2. Concept paper for academic research

Use the following structure to present an idea or concept for a research you
would like to pursue.

1. Title page

 State the proponent’s name, institution, the title of the project, and date of
submission.
2. Background of the study

 Provide the current state of the field you are researching on, knowledge and
problems to be addressed by the research.
 Supply the site of the previous study that can prove your claims, and the reason
why you want to investigate the topic.

3. Preliminary literature review

 Provide a theoretical framework, related literature that supports your topic.

4. Statement of the problem/objectives

 State the general problem in one sentence, including the research questions and
objectives.

5. Abridged methodology

 Provide the data analysis scheme to be used, data collection procedure,

instruments to be used, and the participants of the study

6. Timeline

 Provide a timeline that is set in months and years.

7. References

 Provide the list of all sources like books, journals, and other resources cited in
your paper.

Guidelines in writing a concept paper

1. Cost and methodology should be reasonable.
2. The budget, methodology, and timeline should be clearly mentioned.
3. Use statistics and figures when discussing the rationale for the project.
4. Use no more than 5 pages (single-paced) excluding the cover page. Do not
overwhelm the readers with unnecessary details.
5. Never request funding for planning the proposal.
6. Adjust your language based on the intended readers. You may use technical
terms for target readers composed of scholars and scientists. However, refrain
from using jargon when your targeted readers are not professionals or experts.
7. Include the overview of the budget if it is required. If not, then skip the
budget section. Instead, you may simply include the type of support you require
or need, such as personnel, travel expenses, and communication equipment.
8. Be sure that the basic format details are incorporated, such as page numbers.
9. Cite your references.

Conclusion
The aforementioned analysis will help readers to write effective concept papers
for business project and academic research papers.