A comprehensive style guide is invaluable to a technical writer because it sets standards for everything from abbreviations to title and outline formats. In this way, a style guide enables the writer to maintain a visual and contextual consistency from one document to the next. If your organization does not already have a style guide, there are several public guides available from organizations like the Society for Technical Communication (STC) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Technical documentation is only as good as its source. Most writers work with engineers, scientists, and programmers, many of whom speak inscrutably about complex material. When doing research, writers should use equally-learned sources. Library research indexes, current peer-reviewed publications and books published by technical presses will be the most likely to have accurate and comprehensive information. The Internet (including encyclopedia sites) should not be relied upon without confirmation from an accountable source.
Word processing or documentation software can also be an invaluable tool for not only making papers look professional but also for keeping them accessible. Choose an application that has a range of templates and includes works cited, indexing and tables of contents tools. For papers published in-house, software with robust tools like pagination styles and multiple page layouts within a single document will be most useful. Many journals prefer that submissions be in a common format that can be produced by a variety of software bundles, including those available online at little or no cost.
One of the best ways to improve the clarity and grace of technical papers is through the peer review process. If your employer does not have a technical review board, you can often find one through one or more of the professional groups devoted to technical writing. Conferences, special interest groups and local meetings all give you an opportunity to network with other technical writers. In addition, many of these groups offer workshop opportunities and member-led seminars on specific components of the technical writing field.