Post-Session Reports

At the end of every session, MediaLab automatically saves a copy of Responses.xls in the data\reports folder. The copy is named using the current subject ID and will have all of the subject's responses to the experiment variables saved in the value column. There are two reasons for this. One is that this allows you to open the subject's report and check your calculations. You will be able to view the results of all of calculated variables and skipto values based on the subject's actual responses. It's a handy way to check your work.

The second reason for this is the option to create post-session reports for each subject. In the sample provided, you can click on the "sheet2" tab in the lower left corner of Responses.xls. You will see a template for a post-session report. This is a completely free-format. It uses Excel formatting to create text and figures with references to experiment and calculated variables on the main worksheet. As the session unfolds and values are updated on the main sheet—so are the fields and figures in the report. When the session is over, the report is saved for easy access to these summary data. Take a look at "sheet2" of data\reports\1.xls as an example.

Notice that on the main page of responses.xls there are two lines that read:

print.sheet1 no
print.sheet2 no

You can add these optional lines to any responses.xls file. If listed with "yes" in the value column, they instruct MediaLab to send the listed worksheet(s) directly to your default printer. This is handy, for example, if you want a report on "sheet2" to print automatically so that you might discuss the results with the participant.