diff --git a/fooof/tests/utils/test_params.py b/fooof/tests/utils/test_params.py
index 1c1749bc1..b8de80e8f 100644
--- a/fooof/tests/utils/test_params.py
+++ b/fooof/tests/utils/test_params.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def test_compute_knee_frequency():
 
 def test_compute_time_constant():
 
-    assert compute_time_constant(100)
+    assert compute_time_constant(10)
 
 def test_compute_fwhm():
 
diff --git a/fooof/utils/params.py b/fooof/utils/params.py
index 366a2e744..0a351fa02 100644
--- a/fooof/utils/params.py
+++ b/fooof/utils/params.py
@@ -19,26 +19,55 @@ def compute_knee_frequency(knee, exponent):
     -------
     float
         Frequency value, in Hz, of the knee occurs.
+
+    Notes
+    -----
+    The knee frequency is an estimate of the frequency in spectrum at which the spectrum
+    moves from the plateau region to the exponential decay.
+
+    This approach for estimating the knee frequency comes from [1]_ (see [2]_ for code).
+
+    Note that this provides an estimate of the knee frequency, but is not, in the general case,
+    a precisely defined value. In particular, this conversion is based on the case of a Lorentzian
+    with exponent = 2, and for other exponent values provides a non-exact approximation.
+
+    References
+    ----------
+    .. [1] Gao, R., van den Brink, R. L., Pfeffer, T., & Voytek, B. (2020). Neuronal timescales
+           are functionally dynamic and shaped by cortical microarchitecture. Elife, 9, e61277.
+           https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.61277
+    .. [2] https://github.com/rdgao/field-echos/blob/master/echo_utils.py#L64
     """
 
-    return knee ** (1./exponent)
+    return knee ** (1. / exponent)
 
 
-def compute_time_constant(knee):
-    """Compute the characteristic time constant based on the knee value.
+def compute_time_constant(knee_freq):
+    """Compute the characteristic time constant from the estimated knee frequency.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    knee : float
-        Knee parameter value.
+    knee_freq : float
+        Estimated knee frequency.
 
     Returns
     -------
     float
-        Calculated time constant value, tau, given the knee parameter.
+        Calculated time constant value, tau, given the knee frequency.
+
+    Notes
+    -----
+    This approach for estimating the time constant comes from [1]_ (see [2]_ for code).
+
+    References
+    ----------
+    .. [1] Gao, R., van den Brink, R. L., Pfeffer, T., & Voytek, B. (2020). Neuronal timescales
+           are functionally dynamic and shaped by cortical microarchitecture. Elife, 9, e61277.
+           https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.61277
+    .. [2] https://github.com/rdgao/field-echos/blob/master/echo_utils.py#L65
     """
 
-    return 1. / (2*np.pi*knee)
+    return 1. / (2 * np.pi * knee_freq)
 
 
 def compute_fwhm(std):