The crystallographic properties and cationic distribution of $M_{0.2}Fe_{2.8}O_4$ (M =Mn, Ni, Cu) and $Fe_3O_4$ thin films prepared by sol-gel method have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and conversion electron M$ddot{o}$ssbauer spectroscopy (CEMS). The ionic valence, preferred site, and hyperfine field of Fe ions of the ferrites could be obtained by analyzing the CEMS spectra. The $M_{0.2}Fe_{2.8}O_4$ films were found to maintain cubic spinel structure as in $Fe_3O_4$ with the lattice constant slightly decreased for Ni substitution and increased for Mn and Cu substitution from that of $Fe_3O_4$. Analyses on the CEMS data indicate that $Mn^{2+}$ and $Ni^{2+}$ ions substitute octahedral $Fe^{2+}$ sites mostly, while $Cu^{2+}$ ions substitute both the octahedral and tetrahedral sites. The observed intensity ratio $A_B/A_A$ of the CEMS subspectra of the samples exhibited difference from the theoretical value. It is interpreted as due to the effect of the M substitution for A and B on the Debye temperature of the site. The relative line-broadening of the B-site CEMS subspectra can be explained by the dispersion of magnetic hyperfine fields due to random distribution of M cations in the B sites.