Q: What is the definition of a concept paper in academic research?

A concept paper is a brief paper written by a university student around a research question before undertaking the research. The paper is about two or three pages long and provides key details about the research, such as the question, purpose, and methods. The paper allows the supervisor to gauge how well the student understands the research, based on which the supervisor may provide inputs and guidance for conducting the research. In certain cases, the supervisor may also decide that the student should instead pursue a different research question from the one proposed.

To learn more about concept papers, you may refer to the following resources:

• What is a concept paper?
• How can I write a concept paper on fast food consumption?
• What are the three strategies in elucidating a concept paper?