  Physics Education Research (PER) is a global endeavour, with a wealth of work
performed at a variety of institutions worldwide. However, results from
research into undergraduate physics laboratory courses is often difficult to
compare due to the broad variations in courses. We have created a survey to
help classify these courses to compare and contrast them, which will be useful
in two key endeavours: comparisons between PER studies and providing useful
data for individual instructors hoping to improve their courses, thus providing
information relevant to both researchers and instructors. While we are still in
the process of collecting sufficient data to create a full taxonomy of
laboratory courses, we present here details of the survey creation itself, as
well as a first look at the data collected, which includes a broad landscape of
lab courses in 41 countries. We used both quantitative and qualitative methods
in analyzing the data collected. Some of these results include similarities
between courses, such as students often using pre-constructed apparatuses and
that instructors hope for students to learn technical skills. We also find
differences in courses, such as in the number and types of goals of the course,
as well as the activities students participate in.
