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"This group’s main duties are to carry out information systems audits in Colombian banks and to make research and develop new regulations on information technologies and systems in the banking sector."

Should I put a "to" behind "develop"? Or are any other commas needed?

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  • I think its correct as it is.It all makes right sense.
    – Apoorva
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 9:32
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    I believe you don't need the word "make" there.
    – Interrobang
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 9:53
  • We are saying "make research on information technologies...". Shouldn't "make" be there?
    – Alk
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 10:02
  • Make in the example refers to new regulations: you will be making, researching and developing the regulations. It makes sense, but I would guess that's not what you meant (certainly not in that order).
    – Tim Lymington
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 11:45
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    Related: “To do this or do that” or “To do this or to do that”?
    – RegDwigнt
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 12:14

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It would better be:

... in Colombian banks, to undertake research and to develop new regulations ...

Note that in your version, and is used twice. Unless you meant to say 'research and development' as a single task, you will have to use a comma as above.

As for the to, yes, it is needed, again unless you meant to say 'research and development' as a single task.

[Edit-1]
On the other hand, if you had meant 'research and development' as a single task:

in Colombian banks and to undertake research and development of new regulations ...

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  • Yes, research and development as a single task was what I meant.
    – Alk
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 10:42
  • Oh well, then it's going to be quite different.
    – Kris
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 10:47
  • I think 'R & D' should be on a subject. Normally just pedantic,but here of would naturally refer only to development. (which has already caused some confusion).
    – Tim Lymington
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 11:51
  • @TimLymington I agree with you. I had indeed thought of this. However, even R&D on doesn't fit at all: it is on for R and of for D :( if you check carefully! We generally skirt the issue by placing the R&D after than before.
    – Kris
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 11:59
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How about "The group's main tasks are (i) to carry out information audits in Colombian banks and (ii) to undertake research and development concerning new regulations on information technologies and systems in the banking sector"? It's unwieldy, but it's grammatical and (if read carefully) unambiguous.
I am guessing to a certain extent what your intentions are, as the original can be read several ways; that is the penalty for using and too much.

Also, I don't personally like the phrase information technologies. Information technology is an idiom for computers and related machines; information technologies would include the fax, the photocopier, and paper and pencil. But this isn't a universal view: if your readers will understand the phrase, by all means include it.

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  • My readers are a bunch of university professors and information security experts. "IT" would mean the same to them all.
    – Alk
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 13:55

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