What is the appropriate length of the publication period over which to assess research performance?

Giovanni Abramo, Ciriaco Andrea D'Angelo, Tindaro Cicero. What is the appropriate length of the publication period over which to assess research performance?. Scientometrics, 93(3):1005-1017, 2012. [doi]

@article{AbramoDC12-0,
  title = {What is the appropriate length of the publication period over which to assess research performance?},
  author = {Giovanni Abramo and Ciriaco Andrea D'Angelo and Tindaro Cicero},
  year = {2012},
  doi = {10.1007/s11192-012-0714-9},
  url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11192-012-0714-9},
  researchr = {https://researchr.org/publication/AbramoDC12-0},
  cites = {0},
  citedby = {0},
  journal = {Scientometrics},
  volume = {93},
  number = {3},
  pages = {1005-1017},
}