The present invention concerns processes for the detection and quantitation of nucleic acid molecules, polynucleotides, and/or oligonucleotides in a sample using hybridizationdetection assays, antibody-mediated recognition assays, nucleic acid sensor molecules, chromatographic assays, and/or electrophoresis assays. The present invention specifically concerns processes for the detection and quantitation of double stranded nucleic acid molecules, polynucleotides, and/or oligonucleotides in a sample using hybridization-detection assays. The nucleic acid molecules, polynucleotides, and/or oligonucleotides can include molecules that mediate RNA interference, such as short interfering nucleic acid (siNA), short interfering RNA (siRNA), double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), micro-RNA (miRNA), and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) molecules. The nucleic acid molecules, polynucleotides, and/or oligonucleotides can include nucleic acid aptamers, enzymatic nucleic acid molecules, decoys, antisense, 2',5'-oligoadenylate molecules, triplex forming oligonucleotides or any other nucleic acid molecule of interest. The present invention also concerns kits that allow for the detection and quantitation of nucleic acid molecules, polynucleotides, and/or oligonucleotides in a sample.