Problem

The paper argues that the conventional framing of scholarly knowledge infrastructure as a binary clash between openness and commercial enclosure obscures the true underlying tension. This tension stems from the persistent cost of producing and refining structured metadata in a system plagued by deep technological frictions, and the highly differentiated quality, focus, and granularity demands of various user communities.

Method

The author introduces the “innovation annulus,” a conceptual zone between freely available structured data and the frontier of commercially refined knowledge products. By analogy with the efficient market hypothesis, the annulus width quantifies production inefficiency. The paper develops a geometric model of the annulus, derives diagnostic measures such as an openness ratio, and proposes a formal welfare framework—paralleling the Nordhaus optimal patent life—to predict optimal annulus width. Empirical illustrations use CRediT contributions, funding acknowledgements, and AI disclosure statements as case studies, and the Dimensions platform is examined to show real‑world dynamics.

Results

The analysis shows that the annulus is a permanent, functional feature of the scholarly ecosystem rather than a pathology. AI reduces certain production frictions, moving the inner boundary outward, but it also raises the quality threshold for commercially valuable refinement, leaving a non‑zero annulus. Empirical examples confirm sector‑specific annulus widths and demonstrate how governance mechanisms (e.g., Crossref, the Barcelona Declaration) can shift the inner boundary without eliminating the outer frontier.

Implications

Governance should aim to calibrate—not abolish—the annulus, ensuring the open core is sufficiently wide to serve equity and basic research needs while preserving enough commercial space to incentivize frontier data refinement. Policies such as the Barcelona Declaration and collective disclosure through Crossref are highlighted as promising tools for managing annulus boundaries. The welfare framework offers testable predictions for how technological advances, subsidy levels, and differentiated demand affect optimal annulus width.