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INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 16269-7

First edition
2001-03-01

Statistical interpretation of data —

Part 7:
Median — Estimation and confidence
intervals
Interprétation statistique des données —
Partie 7: Médiane — Estimation et intervalles de confiance

Reference number
ISO 16269-7:2001(E)

© ISO 2001
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ISO 16269-7:2001(E)

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ISO 16269-7:2001(E)

Contents Page

1 Scope ..............................................................................................................................................................1
2 Normative references ....................................................................................................................................1
3 Terms, definitions and symbols...................................................................................................................1
4 Applicability....................................................................................................................................................2
5 Point estimation .............................................................................................................................................2
6 Confidence interval .......................................................................................................................................3
Annex A (informative) Classical method of determining confidence limits for the median................................7
Annex B (informative) Examples ...............................................................................................................................8

Forms

Form A — Calculation of an estimate of a median..................................................................................................9

Form B — Calculation of a confidence interval for a median ..............................................................................11

Table

Table 1 — Exact values of k for sample sizes varying from 5 to 100: one-sided case ........................................4
Table 2 — Exact values of k for sample sizes varying from 5 to 100: two-sided case ........................................5
Table 3 — Values of u and c for the one-sided case................................................................................................6
Table 4 — Values of u and c for the two-sided case ................................................................................................6

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ISO 16269-7:2001(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO
member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical
committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has
the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.

Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting.
Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this part of ISO 16269 may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

International Standard ISO 16269-7 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 69, Applications of statistical
methods, Subcommittee SC 3, Application of statistical methods in standaridization.

ISO 16269 consists of the following parts, under the general title Statistical interpretation of data:

¾ Part 7: Median — Estimation and confidence intervals

The following will be the subjects of future parts to ISO 16269:

¾ Part 1: Guide to statistical interpretation of data

¾ Part 2: Presentation of statistical data

¾ Part 3: Tests for departure from normality

¾ Part 4: Detection and treatment of outliers

¾ Part 5: Estimation and tests of means and variances for the normal distribution, with power functions for tests

¾ Part 6: Determination of statistical tolerance intervals

Annexes A and B of this part of ISO 16269 are for information only.

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 16269-7:2001(E)

Statistical interpretation of data —

Part 7:
Median — Estimation and confidence intervals

1 Scope
This part of ISO 16269 specifies the procedures for establishing a point estimate and confidence intervals for the
median of any continuous probability distribution of a population, based on a random sample size from the
population. These procedures are distribution-free, i.e. they do not require knowledge of the family of distributions
to which the population distribution belongs. Similar procedures can be applied to estimate quartiles and
percentiles.

NOTE The median is the second quartile and the fiftieth percentile. Similar procedures for other quartiles or percentiles are
not described in this part of ISO 16269.

2 Normative references
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of
this part of ISO 16269. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications
do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this part of ISO 16269 are encouraged to investigate the
possibility of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For undated
references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC maintain
registers of currently valid International Standards.

ISO 2602, Statistical interpretation of test results — Estimation of the mean — Confidence interval.

ISO 3534-1, Statistics — Vocabulary and symbols — Part 1: Probability and general statistical terms.

3 Terms, definitions and symbols

3.1 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this part of ISO 16269, the terms and definitions given in ISO 2602 and ISO 3534-1 and the
following apply.

3.1.1
kth order statistic of a sample
value of the kth element in a sample when the elements are arranged in non-decreasing order of their values

NOTE For a sample of n elements arranged in non-decreasing order, the kth order statistics is x[k] where

x [1] u x [2] u ... u x [ n]

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ISO 16269-7:2001(E)

3.1.2
median of a continuous probability distribution
value such that the proportions of the distribution lying on either side of it are both equal to one half

NOTE In this part of ISO 16269, the median of a continuous probability distribution is called the population median and is
denoted by M.

3.2 Symbols

a lower bound to the values of the variable in the population

b upper bound to the values of the variable in the population

C confidence level

c constant used for determining the value of k in equation (1)

k number of the order statistic used for the lower confidence limit

M population median

n sample size

T1 lower confidence limit derived from a sample

T2 upper confidence limit derived from a sample

u fractile of the standardized normal distribution

x[i] ith smallest element in a sample when the elements are arranged in a non-decreasing order of their values

x sample median

y intermediate value calculated to determine k using equation (1)

4 Applicability
The method described in this part of ISO 16269 is valid for any continuous population, provided that the sample is
drawn at random.

NOTE If the distribution of the population can be assumed to be approximately normal, the population median is
approximately equal to the population mean and the confidence limits should be calculated in accordance with ISO 2602.

5 Point estimation

A point estimate of the population median is given by the sample median, x . The sample median is obtained by
numbering the sample elements in non-decreasing order of their values and taking the value of

¾ the [(n + 1)/2]th order statistic, if n is odd, or

¾ the arithmetic mean of the (n/2)th and [(n/2) + 1]th order statistics, if n is even.

NOTE This estimator is in general biased for asymmetrical distributions, but an estimator that is unbiased for any
population does not exist.

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