A set of reagents for use in a multistep amplification of a target nucleic acid molecule, comprising: a. a first primer pair designed to amplify the target nucleic acid molecule, comprising: i. a first forward primer incorporating a primer region that hybridizes with a strand of the target nucleic acid molecule and a first universal tag 5' of the primer region ii. a first reverse primer incorporating a primer region that hybridizes with a strand of the target nucleic acid molecule and a second universal tag 5' of the primer region b. a first nucleic acid molecule comprising in 5' to 3' order: i. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of the first universal tag ii. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of a first adapter sequence needed for subsequent processing iii. a blocking group preventing extension beyond the adapter sequence. c. a second nucleic acid molecule comprising in 5' to 3' order: i. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of the second universal tag ii. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of a second adapter sequence needed for subsequent processing iii. a blocking group preventing extension beyond the second adapter sequence d. a first adapter primer that hybridizes with the reverse complement of the first adapter sequence to generate an amplification product comprising in 5' to 3' order: i. the first adapter sequence ii. the first universal tag e. a second adapter primer that hybridizes with the reverse complement of the second adapter sequence to generate an amplification product comprising in 5' to 3' order: i. the second adapter sequence ii. the second universal tag wherein the amplification products generated using the first and second adapter primers of d and e form a universal primer pair in which the first and second universal tags act as primers to amplify amplification products generated by the first primer pair to produce further amplification products incorporating the first and second universal tags and adapters. a. a first primer pair designed to amplify the target nucleic acid molecule, comprising: i. a first forward primer incorporating a primer region that hybridizes with a strand of the target nucleic acid molecule and a first universal tag 5' of the primer region ii. a first reverse primer incorporating a primer region that hybridizes with a strand of the target nucleic acid molecule and a second universal tag 5' of the primer region i. a first forward primer incorporating a primer region that hybridizes with a strand of the target nucleic acid molecule and a first universal tag 5' of the primer region ii. a first reverse primer incorporating a primer region that hybridizes with a strand of the target nucleic acid molecule and a second universal tag 5' of the primer region b. a first nucleic acid molecule comprising in 5' to 3' order: i. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of the first universal tag ii. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of a first adapter sequence needed for subsequent processing iii. a blocking group preventing extension beyond the adapter sequence. i. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of the first universal tag ii. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of a first adapter sequence needed for subsequent processing iii. a blocking group preventing extension beyond the adapter sequence. c. a second nucleic acid molecule comprising in 5' to 3' order: i. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of the second universal tag ii. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of a second adapter sequence needed for subsequent processing iii. a blocking group preventing extension beyond the second adapter sequence i. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of the second universal tag ii. a sequence of nucleotides that is the reverse complement of a second adapter sequence needed for subsequent processing iii. a blocking group preventing extension beyond the second adapter sequence d. a first adapter primer that hybridizes with the reverse complement of the first adapter sequence to generate an amplification product comprising in 5' to 3' order: i. the first adapter sequence ii. the first universal tag i. the first adapter sequence ii. the first universal tag e. a second adapter primer that hybridizes with the reverse complement of the second adapter sequence to generate an amplification product comprising in 5' to 3' order: i. the second adapter sequence ii. the second universal tag i. the second adapter sequence ii. the second universal tag