The study aimed to provide a detailed description of a process to conduct a phased principle-based concept analysis and tointroduce quality criteria assessment for a phased principle-based concept analysis. Concept analysis explores how a concept isdescribed, used and measured in the literature. This conceptual understanding is important to guide translational research todirect the development of evidence-based practice. The principle-based concept analysis is one approach of concept analysisused in published work, but the literature is lacking in articles clearly describing how to conduct it in practice. This articleprovides a methodology utilising a phased approach and by advancing on previous work; this approach includes a combination ofa systematic search, quality criteria and qualitative analysis with principle-based concept analysis. Quality criteria for a phasedprinciple-based concept analysis is introduced to critically assess articles against the four principles: epistemology, pragmatic,linguistic and logical. These improvements to the methodology promote transparency, rigour and replicability. This com-prehensive systematic approach will aid future phased principle-based concept analyses and enable future comparisons ofconcept development, advancement and related concepts to improve the evidence base.