how to write a concept paper.docx

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How to Write a Concept Paper

October 31, 2012Patrick Regional, PhD6 Comments

What is a concept paper? Why is there a need to write a concept paper? How do

you write it? This article explains the reasons why a concept paper must be

prepared before writing a full blown research paper. It also provides a step-by-stepapproach on how to write it.

I once browsed the internet to look for information on how to write a concet aer!

It took me some time to "nd the information I want! #owe$er, I am not %&ite

satis"ed with those e'lanations beca&se the disc&ssion is either too short or it

$ag&el( e'lains what a concet aer reall( is!

I somehow drew o&t some rinciles from these readings and came & with a

concet aer in comliance with a re%&est to come & with one! )here are also

di*erences in aroach on how this sho&ld be reared! +obod( comlained in the

o&t&t I reared!

I was reminded once again when a colleag&e asked me the other da( to e'lain

what is a concet aer and how sho&ld it be written! #e needs this information

beca&se st&dents ha$e been asking him on how to go abo&t writing the st&*!

)o him and his st&dents I dedicate this article!

What is a Concept Paper and Why Do You Need It?

irst, before going into the details on how to reare a concet aer, let me

e'lain what a concet aer is and wh( do (o& need it!

- concet aer is reared as a rel&de to a f&ll aer! .hat is the f&ll aer all

abo&t/ )he f&ll aer ma( be a thesis, a rogram, a roect, or an(thing that willre%&ire a longer time to reare!

In essence, a concet aer is an embodiment of (o&r ideas on a certain toic or

item of interest! Prearing the concet aer sa$es time beca&se it is ossible that

(o&r thesis or re$iew anel ma( sa( that (o&r concet is not worth &rs&ing!

It is e'ected that the concet aer sho&ld consist onl( of 1 or 2 ages! Or if (o&

want to clear & some matters, it can go & to ages!

or e'amle, as a st&dent (o& ma( be asked to reare (o&r concet aer for (o&r

thesis roosal see stes in rearing the thesis roosal4! )his means that (o&

will ha$e to de$elo an idea and e'ress it for others to &nderstand! 5o& ma( glean

from either (o&r e'erience or from the literat&re that (o& ha$e read! Of co&rse,

(o&r toic sho&ld be within (o&r resecti$e area of secialiation!

If (o& are a st&dent of com&ter science, (o& might want to st&d( the beha$ior of

.i7i signals in di*erent kinds of material where these signals are bo&nced! Or

ma(be (o& want to create a simle gadget to concentrate signals for a ortable 89:

.i7i connection to imro$e its erformance! Or robabl( (o& wo&ld like to "nd o&t
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the otim&m sie of cache that sho&ld be allocated for greatest browsing

e'erience in the internet! )he list co&ld go on!

How Do You Write a Concept Paper?

-s I mentioned a while ago, there is no hard and fast r&le on how to write a concet

aer! It is not act&all( desirable to ha$e a format as (o&r ideas ma( be limited b(lacing (o&r ideas in a bo'! 5o& ma( miss some imortant oints which ma( not be

in the format gi$en to (o&! )he oint is that (o& are able to e'ress to others what

(o& intend to do!

.hat then are the things that the concet aer as a rel&de to a thesis sho&ld be

able to address or contain/ )o make (o&r aroach more s(stematic, a concet

aer m&st ha$e at least the following elements and in the following order;

Image 9o&rce

1. A Rationale

5o& e'lain here the reasons wh( (o& need to &ndertake that thesis roosal of

(o&rs! 5o& can ask (o&rself the following %&estions;

.hat romted (o& to reare the concet aer/

.h( is the iss&e of s&ch imortance/

.hat sho&ld (o& be able to rod&ce o&t of (o&r intended st&d(/

2. A Conceptual ra!ewor"
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/string_theory.pnghttp://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/string_theory.png


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- concet&al framework is siml( (o&r g&ide in working on the idea (o& ha$e in

mind! It is like a ma which (o& need to follow to arri$e to (o&r destination! - great

wa( to come & with one is to do a mind maing e'ercise!

)hat brings & another thing, what is mind maing an(wa(/

- mind ma is siml( a list of ke(words that (o& can connect together to makeclear a certain iss&e! It


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acilit( -&dit

?ost instit&tions don


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:&ildings rogram! )he :&ilding 9ol&tions #P: rogram is redicated on a owerf&l

baseline a&dit, and an a*ordable, reg&larl( sched&led monitoring and &dating of

the a&dit! )his rocess ens&res c&rrent, acc&rate information for better e'ec&ti$e

decision making, and a tool that will e%&i the facilities deartment to ma'imie the

$al&e of the lant in$estment!

8s&all(, the database of iss&es is ro$ided in a web7enabled maintenancemanagement s(stem o*ered b( o&r strategic artner, or it can be incororated into

whate$er information s(stem the instit&tion c&rrentl( &ses!

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