The scientists who developed the double helix model of the DNA molecule were James Watson and Francis Crick. They published their groundbreaking discovery in the journal Nature in 1953.

While Watson and Crick are widely credited with the discovery, it's important to acknowledge that their work built upon the research of other scientists, including:

* Rosalind Franklin: Her X-ray diffraction images of DNA, particularly "Photo 51," provided crucial evidence for the double helix structure.

* Maurice Wilkins: He worked with Franklin and contributed to the X-ray diffraction studies.

* Erwin Chargaff: His discovery of the base pairing rules (A-T and C-G) was essential for understanding DNA structure.

It's also worth noting that the race to discover the structure of DNA was highly competitive, with other scientists, such as Linus Pauling, also working on the problem.