Abstract:

Difficulties in comparing studies that use inconsistent reporting and measurement procedures have long been recognized as major impediments to the accumulation of knowledge about community response to noise. Gaps in the information presented in publications have been especially serious problems for combined social and acoustical surveys of residents' responses to environmental noise. In an attempt to alleviate this problem an ICBEN team, Community Response to Noise, recommends guidelines for reporting on combined social/acoustical surveys of residents' reactions to noise. The guidelines are the result of a 3-year development process that involved consultation with more than 70 experts from 12 countries. If implemented, the reporting guidelines would contribute to the development of cumulative, scientific findings from combined social and acoustical community noise surveys. The guidelines have been developed for three types of publications for information on 18 topics that come under the general headings of overall survey design, survey sample description, data collection methods, acoustical parameters, dose/response reporting, and explanatory variable reporting.