Since 1998, the capstone papers of students at Texas State University have won the Pi Alpha Alpha masters student paper award five times 1 . The papers are so successful because students have mastered the art of building and using intermediate theory or conceptual frameworks. This paper introduces the notion of microconceptual frameworks and examines how students use them to connect all aspects of empirical inquiry (e.g., problem definition, purpose, literature review, methodology, data collection, and analysis). These conceptual frameworks act like a map that gives coherence to the enterprise. They are a critical "missing link" in successful student empirical research. Capstone ProjectOur MPA students learn about conceptual elements of empirical research as they prepare to write their Applied Research Project (ARP). The ARP is written in a twocourse sequence. The first class (POSI 5335 Problems in Research Methodology) 2 is a

Nonmedical prescription drug use (NMPDU) is a serious issue on college campuses. We examine the factors affecting instrumental and recreational NMPDU within the same sample, and test the efficacy of learning and strain theories in predicting NMPDU for both instrumental and recreational use. This cross-sectional study utilizes survey data gathered from a convenient but representative sample ( n = 2,466) of students attending a large public university in the Southwestern United States. There is support for learning theory, but not for strain theory, in predicting both recreational and instrumental use. Logistic regression analyses also show that while marijuana smokers, illicit street drug users, and those possessing less of an academic ethic are more likely to partake in NMPDU for both recreational and instrumental purposes, the predictors for recreational and instrumental NMPDU differ in interesting ways with regard to race, gender, binge drinking, living arrangement, and Greek organization membership.

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This article uses an original data set to explore the utility of three classic sociological theories to test patterns of college student alcohol consumption: social learning, strain, and acculturation. The survey data indicate that the first two theories are supported. Acculturation, however, does not appear to explain variations in drinking habits of Latino students in our sample.