Because of the large varity of potential projects there is a correspondingly large number of report formats. See also the final report format since you want to use the mid-semester report as the basis for your final report.
Title page
This one page should contain the project title, author(s), date, and an "Executive Summary." An Executive Summary is a brief description of the project which should be understandable to everyone in the class. Do not use words or acronyms which are not commonly known.
Introduction
The introduction is an introduction to the project and will usually be a longer version of the Executive Summary. It should describe the project; however, unlike the executive summary it should also include any relevant background, prior work, and should include a detailed description of the design problem.
Methodology
This is the section that technically describes the problem. You should include any technical specifications in this section. For hardware projects it is appropriate to include block diagrams, circuit diagrams, and such things as PCB layouts. For software projects you should have a functional description of the program or algorithm and a block diagram or pseudocode description of the program. You should describe any prior or related work, sources of data, and any other references in this section.
Progress
This is a natural extension of the methodology section which described the overall project. In this section you should describe what progress you have made on your project. For hardware projects you should describe what parts or components you have selected to implement the design, the status of any parts orders, any circuits you have simulated or built, and any test results. For software projects you should describe what software packages you selected to implement the design and why, how much of the software is implemented, the sources of any data, the performance of any models or algorithms, etc.
Discussion & Conclusions
These conclusions are not really conclusions since the project is not finished. In this section you should describe any technical changes in the project and why they occurred. For example, the initial algorithm did not work and you had to use another, a part was not available and you had to design the circuit using another component, etc. Discuss whether the project is on schedule for completion at the end of the semester. If not, what is the new schedule and what do you plan to have done by the end of the semester?
Download a copy of the evaluation form I will use to grade your mid-term report.
Download sample mid-term reports from past semesters which are similar in format to those described above.