Data governance for soundscape studies

Soundscape research involves a complex array of data types, as soundscapes are defined by how acoustic environments are perceived and experienced by individuals within specific contexts. These studies typically incorporate various types of data, including acoustic measurements and psychometric evaluations (both qualitative and quantitative) such as assessments of loudness and sharpness. Visual data (images and videos), assessments of crowd density (evaluating both the number of individuals and their activities), as well as geospatial and temporal data (detailing location specifics, environmental conditions like temperature and humidity, and various times of day) are also integral. The collection, analysis, and presentation of this data are crucial steps in the research process. This paper aims to describe the critical data governance issues and some solutions for managing data in soundscape studies.