THE CONCEPT PAPER
Lesson 1- The Art of Defining
Lesson 2- The Art of Defining
a Concept
Lesson 3- The Art of Writing
a Concept Paper
Definitions
• It is a mode of paragraph development that
answers the questions:
What is it?
What does it mean?
What are its special features?
• The word to be defined may be an object, a
concept, a person, a place, or a phenomenon.
• It is important because it clarifies the meaning
of a word or a concept and it also limits the
scope of that particular word or concept.
Limiting the scope controls and avoids
misinterpretations, vague notions, and or broad
Purposes of Definitions
1. To clarify meaning of words, or to correct
misinterpretations, or misuse of a term.
2. To stipulate the meaning of a term by limiting,
extending, or redirecting the sense in which a term
is usually understood; to use a term, borrowed
from another field of knowledge, in a special way.
Ex: “Window dressing” – used to make a shop
window more attractive to buyers.
-stipulatively used in a false banking report to
deceptively project an impression of economic
stability or financial growth.
Definition
1. FORMAL DEFINITION
Techniques
- It is the most common form of defining in which you are
given a term to be defined and you define a term by
giving the class where the word/term belongs (the
genus) and the characteristics that distinguish the term
from other terms, known as the differentia.
For example:
TERM =GENUS +DIFFERENTIA
DEFINITION = a mode of paragraph + that answers the question what is
development it, what does it mean, or what is its
special features
ROBOT = is a machine + that looks like a human being and
performs complex acts of a human
being
Definition Techniques
EXTENDED DEFINITION
- is needed to define abstract
concepts. It allows the definition to
broaden by using analogy, metaphor,
comparison and contrast,
descriptions, analysis, functions ,
etymology and semantic origin
Definition Techniques
2. By synonym- using a word or phrase that shares a
meaning with the term being defined (Ex: Hashish –
marijuana.)
3. By etymology- define the word by tracing its origin or
semantic history (Ex. Yoga comes from the Sanskrit “to join”)
4. By Illustration – defining a term by setting examples (Ex:
Known for their shedding their leaves in the fall, deciduous
trees include oaks, maples, and beeches.)
5. By function – is stating the term what is for (Ex: A
thermometer measures temperature change.)
6. By analysis – is breaking down wholes into parts, aspects
into levels, and a process into steps (Ex: The republican form
of government has three branches: the executive, the
legislative, and the judiciary.)
Definition Techniques
7. By similarity – use of likeness (Ex: Brighter than
100million suns, quasars stand like beacons on the shore of
the universe…)
8. By metaphor – is comparing the term to another
object/concept/idea that shares characteristics as the term
being defined (Ex: The germs and bacteria or antigens are a
gang of villains invading our body, attacking our unseen
defenders, the layers of macrophages, cytokines, and
lymphocytes)
9. By contrast- use of opposites (Ex: Unlike those of gas, the
particles of plasma are electrically charged.)
10. By negation – stating what a term is not (Ex: Wild rice,
an American delicacy, is not rice at all but the seed of a tall
aquatic grass.)
Defining a Concept
This is a mini concept
paper that may consist of the
definition of the word; in this
case, its origin and changed
meaning. The addition of the
new uses of the word clarifies
the concept further.
Defining a Concept
Concepts are words that cannot be
defined by formal definition because the
words are abstract (ex. love, justice and
equality). In defining a concept, provide
one or two definitions, and make sure that
these definitions are synthesized and
analyzed so that a clear definition of a
concept can be arrived at. When defining
a concept, definitions are also dealt with
explanations as well as examples
The Art of Defining a Concept
In the previous lesson, you were
introduced to the art of defining. You also
learned that there are words that cannot be
defined by formal definition because the
words are abstract. These words are
referred to as concepts: they are ideas or
principles that are associated with
something abstract, and you make sure that
these definitions are synthesized and
analyzed and analyzed so that you can
clearly arrive at clear definition of a concept
The Art of Defining a Concept
In this lesson, you will
learn that when you define
a concept, you are dealing
not just with definitions but
with explanations and
examples as well.
Defining a Concept Paper
The concept paper defines an idea or
a concept and explains its essence in
order to clarify the “whatness” of the
idea or the concept. It answers the
questions: what is it and what about it. A
concept paper starts with a definition,
either formal or informal, of the term or
the concept and proceeds with an
expanded definition and an analytic
description of the aspects of the concept.
Defining a Concept Paper
Another purpose of a concept paper is to
stipulate the meaning of a term by limiting,
extending or redirecting the reference or sense
in which the term is commonly understood or
to use in a special way a term borrowed from
another field in which it is made to apply. In
this sense, a concept paper can be subjective
because the writer can choose what areas to
emphasize, what explanations and analyses to
include and exclude, and what complex idea
have to be simplified.
Defining a Concept Paper
Even if concept paper tends to
be subjective, the writer still has
to make sure that concepts are
clarified and explained in such a
way that the readers can
understand and make sense of
connections .
Writing a Concept Paper
Let us outline Brady’s essay. Outlining can
help you come up with a definition or an
explanation of what a concept paper is.
Thesis Statement:____________________________
I. _____________________________
A. _____________________________
B. _____________________________
II. _____________________________
A. _____________________________
B. _____________________________
III. _____________________________
Writing a Concept Paper
• Introduction- begin with your thesis statement, define the
concept, identify those points that need clarification, raise
your specific claims
• Body- it is the main section of the concept. In this part you
will elaborate on the specific claims made in your thesis
statement . To make the work manageable, consider
developing topic sentences for each supporting point from
your thesis statement. These topic sentences will then be used
as the main idea of each paragraph to make up the body of
the essay
• Conclusion- reemphasizes the thesis statement, provides a
summary of the body of the paper, and relates the importance
of the concept in a specific field or the world in general. In
terms of difficulty, the conclusion is the easiest to write since
you will be referring to the previous parts you drafted
