How do you find the median in a data set?

Finding the median in a data set involves arranging the numbers in order and identifying the middle value. This process is essential because the median is defined as the value that separates the higher half from the lower half of the data set.

When the data is sorted, if there is an odd number of values, the median is simply the middle number. If there is an even number of values, the median is found by taking the average of the two middle numbers. This method ensures that the median accurately reflects the central tendency of the data, regardless of any outliers or skewed distributions in the set.

Thus, ordering the data is a crucial first step to identifying the median, making this option the appropriate choice.