Freewriting About the Research Topic

Recently the use of concentration stimulants on college campuses has dramatically increased.  One such stimulant, Adderall, is a prescription medication that increases the user’s attentiveness and focus.  Adderall is commonly used to treat people who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but has now come the drug of choice for college students who want to increase their focus in their studies.  In this paper I will discuss exactly what Adderall is, how it works to increase focus in the human body, and the many side effects associated with the drug.  I will then introduce the increasingly controversial topic of Adderall use on college campuses by describing the arguments that support Adderall use and the arguments that oppose Adderall use.  One topic I will examine is how Adderall use affects not only the user, but also other students.  As Adderall use increases, people with normal attention become pressured to keep up with the increased performance of stimulant users.  This pressure leads to students buying Adderall from others and using it without a prescription, a matter that could be considered cheating, but has not yet become clearly incorporated into academic integrity statements.  Finally I will discuss the long term affects Adderall has on regular users and how these side effects can be dangerous.  Hypothesis: Although Adderall effectively treat people suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the illegal use of Adderall as a stimulant among college students has dramatically raised causing increased awareness of the dangerous side effects and fairness of using stimulants to increase academic performance.  

To research this topic, I plan to examine medical materials, such as publications and websites, which provide explanations of how Adderall works as a stimulant and what side effects it causes.  I will also find newspaper articles and journals from various colleges that describe how Adderall use has increased and what affects it causes on college campuses.  In addition, I will find firsthand studies which have findings which support the idea that Adderall does increase focus and academic performance.  Lastly, I will find articles and statements from credible authorities that provide insight into the two opposing view of the fairness of using Adderall on college campuses.  I will also need secondhand sources which provide further research and support for these main points.

The most difficult part of the assignment will be to remain unbiased in my presentation of the argument of whether it is fair for college students to use Adderall, if they have a prescription or not.  The sources I find may lean toward supporting argument more, but I will have to present this argument objectively.  Also, I will need to describe the medical background and terminology involving Adderall in a manner that is understandable to an average reader.