A review of an updated synthesis of noise/annoyance relationships

This report evaluates the evidence supporting the 'dosage-effect relationship for the prevalence of annoyance due to general transportation noise' that was originally presented in 1978 and more recently updated in 1991. The synthesis methods and many of the constituent studies' reports are examined. The weaknesses of the synthesis are identified and found to be partly due to the synthesis methodology, but fundamentally to the lack of comparability in the constituent studies' methodologies and reporting procedures. Several suggested improvements to survey, analysis, and synthesis techniques are proposed.