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In practice there is still a significant gap between soundscape indicators which are used in some standardized way in “mea- surement by persons” and those applied in “measurement by instruments.” For example, psychoacoustic, ecological and landscape acoustics need techniques to be more tightly inte- grated in such studies to mediate between personal experience and group-area-society requirements and needs. Moreover, only through proper integration of these techniques can the potential of the soundscape approach be implemented in planning and design.
Thus, the soundscape approach relies by definition on this strategy and in the strict sense it can be said: any study which does not use triangulation, that is, a combination of several differing investigative methods, cannot be considered a com- plete soundscape study. So we must look at each soundscape situation from several viewpoints to obtain a more complete picture of reality!
two other distinct points. The idea is that one can be more confident with a result if different methods lead to the same result. Accordingly, triangulation is a powerful technique that facilitates validation of data through cross verification from two or more sources (Figure 2). In particular, it refers to the application and combination of several research methodolo- gies in the study of the same phenomenon (Denzin, 2006; Jonsen and Jehn, 2009).
Soundscape as a resource
Traffic noise sources (Figure 3) do not only cause annoy- ance, but also offer non-visual orientation in one’s daily life. Subconscious routines reduce the effort of paying attention. To discuss the contribution of soundscape research in the area of community noise soundscape is understood as a resource, from which benefit is produced.
Typically, resources may be defined materials, money, services, staff, or other assets that are transformed to produce benefits to the interested parties, and in the process may be consumed or made unavailable. Benefits of resource utilization may include increased wealth, meeting needs or wants, proper functioning of a system, or enhanced well-being. From a hu- man perspective a natural resource is anything obtained from the environment to satisfy human needs and wants.
Central to soundscape analysis is placing sound in a context, with noise and sound linked to activity at realistic study sites. The listener’s sensational reality depends on the combina-
tion of their socio-cultural background and the psychological dimension with the acoustical setting. The acoustical social- ization (acoustical biography) and action frame of reference
of the concerned residents will also influence environmental noise evaluation. Therefore, tools for the exploration of the soundscape, microscopic as well as macroscopic, are needed. Clearly, the concept of sound as a resource reaches across a broad range of applications. For example, in architectural design, the introduction of artificial “noise,” known as sound masking, can greatly improve the speech privacy, comfort, and effectiveness of workers in open-plan office environments.
Methodological triangulation
Questionnaire survey
Led by investigator
Narrative interview, workshop
Led by the users of the space, the local experts
Soundscape
Sound analysis
Led by the instruments
Figure 2 : Basic triangulation model in soundscape research and practice (Lercher and Schulte-Fortkamp (2013)
Why Triangulation?
The concept of triangulation is borrowed from navigational and land surveying techniques that determine a single point in space with the convergence of measurements taken from
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