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.