Sound Around Town is a citizen science project aimed at documenting soundscapes and their effect on people. The primary volunteer research activities involve borrowing specialized equipment from the National Park Service to record soundscapes around one’s home, and answering a questionnaire about natural and human caused sounds and noise. The National Park Service will use the recordings to measure noise levels and improve the National Sound Map program (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/index.htm).

NCSU researchers will use the average noise levels for each site to map disparities in noise pollution across and among neighborhoods in Raleigh.

By participating in Sound Around Town, you are consenting to:

(1) Be publicly acknowledged for your participation, such as we can list your name on the SoundAroundTown.org website and in the acknowledgements section of scientific publications, and let your neighbors know when you are hosting a recording device. Note that if a neighbor objects to the placement of a recording device in the neighborhood, then you can only participate in the online survey and listening session portions of this project.

(2) Have local scientists deliver the audio and (optional) air quality devices to your home and set them up to record for 2 weeks. We will provide you with information about how to turn off the audio recording device.

(3) Answer questions about sounds you hear on your property using paper and online questionnaires during 3 listening sessions, taking about 10 minutes each. Listening sessions include sitting outside by the device and completing the questionnaire by noting the sounds you hear and how you feel about them.

(4) Have a local scientist pick up the recording devices.

Based on volume of participant interest, you will be included in the study in the order with which you expressed interest.

For two weeks, this study will record sounds on your property which can include sounds originating from neighboring properties and potentially further away. No human ear will listen to the recordings because they are processed through computer software to estimate the volume of sound in the area. The computer cannot extract words or speech from recordings. All recordings will be deleted once analysis is complete. We will provide you with a summary of those analyses. You can also turn off the recording device at any time. All data are subject to subpoena if warranted and available. Project data are encrypted and stored on secure hard drives accessible only to the researchers.

There is no compensation for participating. The benefits of participating are learning how your neighborhood soundscape compares to others in your city, as well as how your city compares to other cities, and overall, helping scientists understand how soundscapes impact people and wildlife.

If you have questions about the research, please email Dr. Caren Cooper at soundaroundtown@ncsu.edu

If you feel your rights as a citizen scientist in Sound Around Town have been violated during the course of this project, contact Jennifer Ofstein, Regulatory Compliance Administrator, Box 7514, NCSU Campus (919/515-4514) or via email at irb-director@ncsu.edu.

Click yes to participate in this study

Click no if you do not want to participate in this study