1. A computer-implemented document processing method that comprises: receiving, from a document originator, metadata that identifies a document that is to be distributed to a document recipient as part of a workflow, wherein the document includes one or more document terms; designating a protocol for authenticating an assent to the one or more document terms that is provided by the document recipient, wherein the protocol establishes an ocular recognition technology; providing, to the document recipient in response to a received request, instructions for processing an ocular image in accordance with the protocol; receiving, from the document recipient, the assent and a processed ocular image acquired from the document recipient in accordance with the protocol; comparing the processed ocular image with a reference ocular image stored in an authentication data repository; and in response to determining that the processed ocular image and the reference ocular image were derived from the document recipient, (a) updating audit data associated with the document to indicate that the document recipient has assented to the one or more document terms, (b) adding to the document a graphical representation of the processed ocular image, and (c) adding to the document a link to the updated audit data.