Interview Protocol
We created a structured interview instrument using Qualtrics to ensure
the same questions were asked of all informants and that informants
could also visually interact with the types of materials that are often
provided as handouts during in-person network interviews (Burt, 2011).
Questionnaire logic included branches for PPE producers and recipients.
Zoom interviews not only served as a substitute for in-person field
interviews during the pandemic, but the video capabilities allowed for
informants to provide numerous “show and tell” demonstrations about
PPE. Additionally, because informants participated in interviews on
their computers, they frequently checked their records to inform
responses (e.g., calendars for dates, spreadsheets for statistics, or
email and social media correspondence for names of people). This aided
informant recollections of past events and improved the dependability of
our data.