TESU Liberal Arts Capstone Books- help needed

[Yana]

Hello,
I need help from those who took the capstone as a class. I have ordered the writing winning thesis book but not sure if buying the other book is really necessary (have read contradicting opinions on this). I have found a pocket edition which is 50$ cheaper than the standard edition, so my questions is whether this would be enough or do I better stick to the full edition.

[davewill]

I never cracked mine open. Online resources are sufficient for getting APA format right and that's all I needed. There were no assigned readings from, or even references to, the "Keys" book during the course.

[artdeco]

I think it depends on each individuals writing skills/experience. The Purdue OWL website was all I needed. Also Dr.Haydel wrote a textbook for the course. She let us download it for free. It included guidance and examples on each part of the project. This was Spring semester. I am not sure what is going on currently.

[TrailRunr]

I agree with davewill. I wouldn't bother buying or renting the thesis book and just rely on the many online resources on APA like OWL and the citation machine. It might be a good idea to rent or buy the thesis book if you're terrified of the class.

[msd2012]

I purchased a used copy of the winning thesis book and never used it and never bought the other. Like the others, I didn't find them necessary. There are plenty of online resources.

[ladylearner]

I didn't buy Keys. I read comments here first and figured if I needed it, I could always just get the ebook. I barely even used the main text. Online resources are easier to work with because you can get right to what you want to know. No reading through extraneous text. Plus, my faculty mentor provided sample papers.

[Yana]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I won't order the keys for writers book then. I was worried the instructor might be referring to certain pages or something. If info could be found online then it's great. Plus I could always check out the used books shops or even a library. I feel relieved now.

[davewill]

I perhaps wasn't clear. The thesis book was used in my class. There was assigned reading, and I found it helpful. You had to adapt what you read, though, because the book is written for PhD and Master's candidates, and a lot of the advice doesn't apply directly to an undergrad paper.

[TrailRunr]

I don't think you need to read anything in the thesis book even if it's assigned. Of course, this will vary from mentor to mentor and the student's previous experience with research papers.

[embitca]

I borrowed Writing the Winning Thesis from the library and find it extremely helpful. It basically walks you through how to set up this style of paper step by step. I think you could get away with not using it, but since I have it I refer to it constantly. The other book is not worth bothering with because the exact same info is on the Purdue Owl website.