CONCEPT PAPER

• It is an in-depth analysis of idea, situation, or practice. It can be anything that you find significant:

  It can be feeling (What is self-esteem?)

  A cultural practice (What is Filipino time?)

  A belief (What is transmigration?)

  A situation (What is same-sex marriage?)

  concept paper
• concept paper

  You can choose to write on any subject in a concept paper.

  It examines the “what-ness” or nature of an idea or concept

  To accomplish this, you need to explain in full a simple definition of the term. In other words, you have to extend the definition.

  A concept paper is written to inform, if the topic or concept is unknown to the audience.
• As an extended definition, a concept paper is fundamentally different from a concept project proposal in terms of ultimate objective/purpose: a concept paper targets the explanation of an idea, theory, practice or principle, for the purpose of informing a target audience. On the other hand, a concept project proposal seeks to present an idea or solution to a problem for consideration by others, possibly for funding or support
• used to provide meaning of a particular word/idea or concept.

  it may be formal, informal, or extended.

  definition
• Formal sentence definition includes the term, class, and distinguishing features.

  The TERM is the word to be defined, CLASS is the group where the term belongs, and DISTINGUISHING FEATURES are the qualities that make the term unique.

  formal definition
• includes the term and the class only.

  The writer uses known words or examples or synonyms to explain an unknown term.

  informal definition
• Extended definitions are essay length texts that use different rhetorical patterns to show the meaning of a term or concept.

  Usually, extended definition essays or concept papers not only define but also describe, compare and contrast, and show cause-and-effect relationships to provide the reader a holistic definition of term.


  extended definition
• EXAMPLES

  You can define a term by giving examples.

  You can give examples of the term and this is a fitting strategy especially if the term you’re defining is abstract.

  For example, to clarify the meaning of the term “integrity” , you can give examples of behaviors and situations that demonstrate it.
• B. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

  This is advisable when the term is not too familiar or popular with the audience. What you can do is to compare and contrast it with something more popular or familiar to your audience.

  For instance, the concept of imperialism may not be known to many, but if you use a parallel situation of a landowner being driven out of his land and the interruption to steal the property form the owner, you might find some success in your definition.
• B. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

  In defining the term “empathy” , it is advisable to compare/contrast it with the word “sympathy” for better understanding.

  In defining the term “objective” , it is advisable to compare/contrast it with the word “subjective” for better understanding
• C. GIVING DETAILS

  Giving details through description is another strategy in a concept paper. You can physically describe something by giving its dimensions (shape, size, color, texture), parts and functions as in defining what an ATM is.

  Non physical description can be done by giving characteristics to define the term.
• E. ANALYSIS

  Analysis to extend a definition can be done by discussing the idea’s components and/or its implications. Implications are the far- reaching consequences/effect of a concept.

  For example, in defining “globalization” you can explain one of its consequences: the homogenization of cultures (or cultures losing their uniqueness and becoming very similar to others)
• OTHER WAY:

  Another way of structuring a concept paper is by saying what it is not and then saying what it is.

  For example, you are writing a concept paper about “love”; you may define love by saying: love is not selfish, it does not seek harm, it is not merely a feeling, etc., and then ending by saying what it is: love is other-person centered, it seeks the happiness and protection of the beloved.