The methodology of the Doing Business research in this area is based on the measurement of the efficiency of adjudication in a model commercial dispute concerning the payment of duties arising from the contract for the sale of goods by national courts.

The measurement consist of three elements:

- procedures - the list of procedural actions undertaken during the proceeding, which includes any interaction between parties or between parties and a judge or a court official, connected with filing a petition, a suit, as well as an issuance and enforcement of a judgement

- duration - measured in calendar days from the date of creditor s lawsuit in court to the date of collecting a debt by an enforcement agent it includes both days when actions are undertaken and days of waiting. Respondents provide separately estimated average duration of different dispute resolution: preparations for a suit (a time of bringing an action), issuance of a judgement (a duration of a lawsuit and obtaining a judgement) and repayment of a debt (duration of enforcement of a judgement).

- costs - the sum of costs incurred by a citizen considered in the survey includes official and required by law costs, including law charges, enforcement costs and an average attorney fees.

The number of economies surveyed in the Doing Business is constantly growing. In 2012, there were 183 world economies included in the ranking. In 2014, there were as many as 189.