A method for evaluating a polymer molecule including linearly connected monomer residues includes providing a polymer molecule in a liquid, contacting the liquid with an insulating solid-state membrane having a detector capable of detecting polymer molecule characteristics, and causing the polymer molecule to traverse a limited region of the solid-state membrane so that monomers of the polymer molecule traverse the limit region in sequential order, whereby the polymer molecule interacts linearly with the detector and data suitable to determine polymer molecule characteristics are obtained. The limited region may be defined by a nanometer-sized aperture in the membrane.