The development of stand-alone, Web-based electronic journals began shortly after the Internet became widely accessible among researchers. These journals represented one of the first attempts to utilize the Internet as a forum for the regular distribution of peer-reviewed scholarly research. The purpose of this paper is to examine issues related to the preservation of online scholarly electronic journals. The paper begins by clarifying key concepts concerning digital preservation, then moves into a general overview of the challenges faced by information providers in preserving and making accessible digital resources. This is followed by an outline of the unique characteristics of Web-based electronic journals, including an analysis of issues related to editorial authority, accessibility, and the merit and promotion process. Current attempts to preserve electronic journals are discussed, followed by an analysis of future trends in the field of digital preservation and its relationship to the archiving and maintenance of online journals in the near and distant future. The paper concludes with recommendations intended to lay the groundwork for collaborative efforts to systematically preserve electronic journals on the Internet. (Contains 25 references.) (Author/AEF)