Overview
ISO/TS 12913-3:2025 - "Acoustics - Soundscape - Part 3: Data analysis" provides requirements and supporting guidance for analyzing in‑situ soundscape data collected according to ISO/TS 12913-2. This second edition (2025) updates the 2019 Technical Specification and focuses on integrating perceptual, contextual and acoustic measurements to support robust, reproducible soundscape studies.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and intent: Analysis methods are aligned with the holistic soundscape approach (human perception first, physical measurement second). Methods should be chosen to match project goals and data types.
- Quantitative analysis:
- Handle data according to measurement level (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio).
- Use appropriate descriptive statistics (e.g., median and interquartile range for ordinal Likert data).
- Select parametric or non‑parametric inferential tests after checking model assumptions; report probability values and chosen methods.
- Annex A/B provide Method A/B specifics (e.g., Likert‑scale coding and recommended measures).
- Qualitative analysis:
- Transcribe interviews (clean read, verbatim as appropriate).
- Apply systematic text analysis methods (Grounded Theory, Qualitative Content Analysis, Social Network Analysis) and document the analytic process (see Annex C).
- Exclude data from interviews that violated ethical or methodological rules.
- Binaural data and psychoacoustics:
- Equalize binaural recordings per ISO/TS 12913-2 prior to analysis.
- Process left/right channels separately to derive acoustic and psychoacoustic metrics (standard lists are provided); link these metrics to perceptual assessments (see Annex D).
- Triangulation and integration:
- Combine people, context and acoustic environment data for cross‑validation.
- Use mixed‑methods and clustering where appropriate to classify sites and corroborate findings (Annex E).
- Confounders: Identify and discuss potential bias sources (sequential effects, range effects, demand characteristics).
Applications and users
ISO/TS 12913-3:2025 is practical for:
- Urban planners, environmental acousticians and policy makers assessing soundscape quality
- Researchers conducting soundwalks, questionnaires and interview studies
- Consultants and public health professionals linking perceptual data to acoustic metrics
- Sound designers and landscape architects seeking evidence‑based evaluation of auditory environments
The standard supports better decision making in urban design, noise management, public realm improvement and research on human responses to soundscapes.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO/TS 12913-3:2025, soundscape data analysis, acoustics, binaural recordings, Likert-scale, qualitative analysis, psychoacoustic metrics, triangulation, soundwalk.