1. A method of creating and authenticating a document, the method comprising: registering a user of a document creation system as a document creator, the registering including recording user identification data, user biometric data, and contact information for the user, and allocating a unique user identity code to the user; creating a document having a user discernable portion and an encoded portion, the encoded portion including identification data identifying the registered user, contents data corresponding to at least part of the user discernable portion of the document, and authentication data; creating a central record of the document in a central database, the central record comprising data corresponding at least partially to the data in the encoded portion of the document; wherein at least one of the encoded portion of the document or the respective central record in the central database includes instructions for contacting the registered user as part of a document authentication process; receiving an image of the encoded portion of the document during the document authentication process; decoding the image to extract the data contained therein; and authenticating the document by contacting the respective registered user of the document creation system using the instructions, transmitting at least a portion of the instructions to the registered user, receiving current identification data from the registered user in accordance with the transmitted instructions, and comparing the received current identification data with data in the central record and the data extracted from the encoded portion of the document to verify the respective registered user as the document creator.
1. A method of creating and authenticating a document, the method comprising: registering a user of a document creation system as a document creator, the registering including recording user identification data, user biometric data, and contact information for the user, and allocating a unique user identity code to the user; creating a document having a user discernable portion and an encoded portion, the encoded portion including identification data identifying the registered user, contents data corresponding to at least part of the user discernable portion of the document, and authentication data; creating a central record of the document in a central database, the central record comprising data corresponding at least partially to the data in the encoded portion of the document; wherein at least one of the encoded portion of the document or the respective central record in the central database includes instructions for contacting the registered user as part of a document authentication process; receiving an image of the encoded portion of the document during the document authentication process; decoding the image to extract the data contained therein; and authenticating the document by contacting the respective registered user of the document creation system using the instructions, transmitting at least a portion of the instructions to the registered user, receiving current identification data from the registered user in accordance with the transmitted instructions, and comparing the received current identification data with data in the central record and the data extracted from the encoded portion of the document to verify the respective registered user as the document creator. 9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the instructions comprise a password to be spoken by a user of the document creation system to identify the user biometrically.