Q: What is a concept paper?

An academic concept paper is a brief summary of a research project written by a university student who is about to conduct a certain research. It outlines the project in around 2-3 pages and its purpose is to give the department an idea of what the research is about, why the research is important, and how it will be carried out.  

Typically, a concept paper contains the following elements:

1. A title which is usually in the form of a question. 

2. A brief overview of the research topic, including a summary of what is already known about that topic.

3. A brief statement of the research question that the project will seek to answer. This is usally done in one or two senetences.

4. An explanation of why this research question is important and why this project is worth writing.

5. A description of how the methods that the researcher plans to use to answer the research question. 

Related reading: 

• How to choose a research question