@article{fdi:010090698,
  title = {{T}he {A}coustic {I}ndex {U}ser's {G}uide : a practical manual for defining, generating and understanding current and future acoustic indices},
  author = {{B}radfer-{L}awrence, {T}. and {D}uthie, {B}. and {A}brahams, {C}. and {A}dam, {M}. and {B}arnett, {R}. {J}. and {B}eeston, {A}. and {D}arby, {J}. and {D}ell, {B}. and {G}ardner, {N}. and {G}asc, {A}mandine and {H}eath, {B}. and {H}owells, {N}. and {J}anson, {M}. and {K}yoseva, {M}. {V}. and {L}uypaert, {T}. and {M}etcalf, {O}. {C}. and {N}ousek-{M}c{G}regor, {A}. {E}. and {P}oznansky, {F}. and {R}oss, {S}rpj and {S}ethi, {S}. and {S}myth, {S}. and {W}addell, {E}. and {F}roidevaux, {J}. {S}. {P}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{E}coacoustics, the study of environmental sound, is a rapidly growing discipline offering ecological insights at scales ranging from individual organisms to whole ecosystems. {S}ubstantial methodological developments over the last 15 years have streamlined extraction of ecological information from audio recordings. {O}ne widely used set of methods are acoustic indices, which offer numerical summaries of the spectral, temporal and amplitude patterns in audio recordings. {C}urrently, the specifics of each index's background, methodology and the soundscape patterns they are designed to summarise, are spread across multiple sources. {C}ritically, details of index calculation are sometimes scarce, making it challenging for users to understand how index values are generated. {D}iscrepancies in understanding can lead to misuse of acoustic indices or reporting of spurious results. {T}his hinders ecological inference, replicability and discourages adoption of these tools for conservation and ecosystem monitoring, where they might otherwise provide useful insight. {H}ere we present the {A}coustic {I}ndex {U}ser's {G}uide-an interactive {RS}hiny web app that defines and deconstructs eight of the most commonly used acoustic indices to facilitate consistent application across the discipline. {W}e break the acoustic indices calculations down into easy-to-follow steps to better enable practical application and critical interpretation of acoustic indices. {W}e demonstrate typical soundscape patterns using a suite of 91 example audio recordings: 66 real-world soundscapes from terrestrial, aquatic and subterranean systems around the world, and 25 synthetic files demonstrating archetypal soundscape patterns. {O}ur interpretation figures signpost specific soundscape patterns likely to be reflected in acoustic indices' values. {T}his {RS}hiny app is a living resource; additional acoustic indices will be added in the future through collaboration with authors of pre-existing and new indices. {T}he app also serves as a best-practice template for the information required when publishing new acoustic indices, so that authors can facilitate the widest possible understanding and uptake of their indices. {I}n turn, improved understanding of acoustic indices will aid effective hypothesis generation, application and interpretation in ecological research, ecosystem monitoring and conservation management.},
  keywords = {autonomous recording unit ; bioacoustics ; ecoacoustics ; passive acoustic ; monitoring ; soundscape},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{M}ethods in {E}cology and {E}volution},
  volume = {[{E}arly access]},
  numero = {},
  pages = {[11 ]},
  ISSN = {2041-210{X}},
  year = {2024},
  DOI = {10.1111/2041-210x.14357},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010090698},
}