We have deposited LaNiO₃ thin films on LaAlO₃ (001), SrTiO₃ (001), and Si (001) substrates using the pulsed laser deposition technique. Depositions were carried out at various substrate temperatures ranging from 0 to 800 ^oC. The effects of lattice mismatch and structural disorder on the transport properties of films deposited on various substrates and at different substrate temperatures are reported. X-ray diffraction confirms a highly c-axis oriented growth of LaNiO₃ films on all the substrates at substrate temperatures of 600 and 800 ^oC, while at lower substrate temperatures deposited films are amorphous. Emergence of a new Raman mode indicates symmetry lowering in all the deposited crystalline films. Hardening of the E_g(3) (~400 cm^-1) mode is also observed with the rise of in-plane compressive strain. Resistivity curves for films on Si show a semiconducting behaviour and follow a variable range hopping mechanism. Crystalline films on LaAlO₃ and SrTiO₃ exhibit a metallic character along with a low-temperature resistivity upturn, which is attributed to the contribution of self-localization to resistivity at low temperatures as indicated by magnetotransport measurements.