Final answer:
Rosalind Franklin conducted X-ray diffraction studies on DNA which showed that DNA had a helical structure. Watson and Crick used this information, along with their own findings, to build the model of the double-helix structure of DNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rosalind Franklin conducted X-ray diffraction studies on DNA and concluded that DNA had a helical structure. She suggested that the bases were stacked like pennies, which was a vital clue to understanding DNA's structure. James Watson and Francis Crick indicated a helical structure as well, and they formulated the double stranded structural model of DNA. Their work on DNA's structure was heavily dependent on the X-ray diffraction images produced by Franklin. In 1962, Watson, Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for their discovery of the structure of DNA. Unfortunately, Franklin had passed away by then and did not receive the Nobel due to the policy of not awarding it posthumously.