This document provides an introduction to next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. It discusses the history of DNA sequencing technologies leading up to NGS, including Sanger sequencing. It then describes the key principles of several major NGS platforms, including how they achieve massively parallel sequencing using amplification and signal detection. The document notes challenges of NGS like short read lengths, coverage depth needs, and large data volumes. It also outlines common applications of NGS data like variant detection and discusses future prospects.