Sociologists constantly change their methods of collecting data. Initially, sociologists collected data live (face-to-face), later telephone interviewing became the dominant method, and now sociologists most frequently use online surveys.
This is not a significant methodological problem since the number of internet users in Belarus is among the highest in the former republics of the USSR. According to a study by DataReportal, in 2020, Belarus had 7.8 million internet users, which is 83% of the total population. According to rough estimates, this is about 90-95% of the population over 15 years old.
CAWI is widely used both on its own and in combination with traditional face-to-face and/or telephone surveys. Its main advantages are the speed of data collection and the relatively low cost, without any loss of data quality. For example, online polls are used by reputable social science services such as Gallup and the Pew Research Center.
In addition to these features of CAWI methodology, we took into account the Covid epidemic. Remote polling allowed us to maintain social distancing to minimize the risk of spreading coronavirus. Another important motivation is the restrictions on sociological research in Belarus. We cannot risk the freedom and well-being of our interviewers. Accordingly, the CAWI technique seems optimal.